Aug 2026· Journal of Dental Education· 0 citations· 19 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Structured IPE programs are well-received by undergraduate students and enhance collaborative clinical practice competencies, with students of all disciplines reporting an appreciation for interprofessional collaboration particularly in clinical practice.
Abstract
Purpose
Interprofessional education (IPE) is increasingly recognized as a critical component of the training of oral healthcare professionals, aiming to enhance collaboration and improve patient outcomes. This exploratory study evaluated the attitudes of undergraduate students of dentistry, dental hygiene, and dental assisting toward IPE.
Methods
A mixed-methods approach was used, involving the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale questionnaire.
Results
Of the 104 respondents, 44 were dental students, 46 were dental hygiene students, and 14 were dental assistant students. In total, 55% reported having experience of IPE. Quantitative analysis revealed that the respondents were receptive to the idea that incorporating shared learning in their curricula will benefit communication, teamwork skills, and patient care. A statistically significantly weaker identification with a professional role in the context of interprofessional collaboration of dental students and dental hygiene students was found compared with dental assistant students (p < 0.01). Dental and dental hygiene students perceived IPE less beneficial to their professional development than dental assistant students. However, individual variation of opinion in valuing collaborative relationships with other healthcare professionals was evident. Qualitative data supported these findings, with students of all disciplines reporting an appreciation for interprofessional collaboration particularly in clinical practice.
Conclusions
Oral health care students had, on average, a positive attitude toward IPE. Within the limitations of this small sample, our findings suggest that structured IPE programs are well-received by undergraduate students and enhance collaborative clinical practice competencies.
The results highlight the value of integrating IPE across both preclinical and clinical curricula and of targeting attitudinal development specifically, and support embedding structured, experiential IPE from the preclinical years onward-through shared case-based teaching, interprofessional simulation, and co-facilitated clinical activities.
N. Hashim, M. M. Rahman, Sharifa Jameel Hossain et al.· Scientific Reports· 0 citations
Interprofessional education has received increasingly more attention over the years. This study was performed from two groups; the dental students, and the nursing students.
After the rotation, the nursing students’ tooth brushing frequency increased, and their comfort level with dental visits and oral health related knowledge improved.
Aim: To assess whether the IPE experience would improve nursing students’, dental students’, IPE related attitudes as well as their RIPLS scores from beginning to end of this IPE experience.
Objective:
How nursing students’ considerations concerning their own oral health and oral health related knowledge changed before and after IPE.
How nursing and dental students RIPLS scores changed after rotation.
How these groups attitudes and RIPLS scores were related.
Methodology:
This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board for the Behavioral and Health Sciences at the University of Michigan.
Data from the nursing students and dental students who participated in IPE were collected.
To assess changes, survey was conducted between the two groups.
Results:
A total of 200 students took part in this with females (133) and males (67), age of the participants ranging from 18-25yrs. In this study, both nursing and dental students agreed that they learned clinical skills and are likely to use in their careers.
Conclusion:
The nursing students who participated in IPE experience with dental students improved their oral health related behavior.
Dental students participated also improved their attitudes related to importance of nurses engaging in caries risk assessment and recognizing caries.
M. Sindhura, K.V.N.R. Pratap, B.Vengal rao et al.· International journal of all...· 0 citations
Background: The oral cavity reflects systemic health conditions, yet interprofessional collaboration between dentists and other healthcare professionals remains understudied in dental education. Interprofessional education (IPE) fosters collaborative practice by enabling students from different health professions to learn about, from, and with one another. This narrative review aims to identify the perceptions, readiness, and barriers experienced by dental students regarding IPE.
Methods: This narrative review collected data from the electronic databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and Portal Garuda. Articles were included if they involved preclinical or clinical dental students, discussed the status of IPE (perceptions, readiness, and barriers) in dentistry, and were published between 2016 and 2026, in either Indonesian or English.
Results: Across multiple studies, dental students generally reported positive perceptions of IPE, with relevance often rated higher than among medical students, and this perception correlated with stronger foundational knowledge and greater motivation to continue interprofessional practice after graduation. Readiness assessments similarly indicated good preparedness, particularly among students with substantial prior exposure to dental theory. However, implementation faces notable barriers: an already dense and rigid dental curriculum limits room for additional IPE content; the specificity of dental cases can make interprofessional sessions feel less relevant or reduce students' sense of meaningful contribution; and the absence of standardized evaluation instruments hinders consistent assessment of IPE outcomes across institutions.
Conclusion: Dental students demonstrate strong readiness and largely positive attitudes toward IPE, but curriculum density, case-specificity concerns, and inadequate evaluation methods remain significant obstacles. Deliberate curriculum redesign and the development of standardized assessment tools are needed to translate this readiness into effective interprofessional collaborative practice.
Annafsa Zaky Rahmi, Mutiara Khasanah· World Journal of Advanced Re...· 0 citations
The findings revealed that participants had good knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding IPE, however, challenges such as limited exposure to other healthcare programmes, timetabling constraints and a lack of co-ordinated IPE activities should be addressed to inform future IPE practice.
M. Morule, S. Singh, A. Bhayat· African Journal of Health Pr...· 0 citations
The findings revealed generally positive exploring very good competences for doing team collaboration and good competences for others, including communication, including communication and 20% (professional identity).
R. S. Pujiastuti, Emy Rianti, O. Handayani et al.· Jurnal kesehatan masyarakat· 0 citations
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