R-2404-21166

This project is a partnership between the Cizik School of Nursing (CSON), the School of Dentistry (SOD) at UTHealth Houston and Camp Hope, a Houston-based residential treatment center for veterans with PTSD. A pilot study will investigate the impact of dental care in behavioral health treatment among veterans and the use of digital dentistry in expanding access to dental care among veterans. The study aims to compare the success of veterans who receive digital dentistry screening and urgent dental care at admission in a residential treatment program for PTSD with those who do not receive digital dentistry screening and urgent dental care and to evaluate the effectiveness and policy implications of the use of digital dentistry to increase access to dental care among veterans in a residential treatment program for PTSD. Veterans and Veterans Services Organizations will be consulted in the design and implementation of this study.

To address oral health inequities facing veterans in underserved communities, this project will use digital dentistry, a novel, affordable approach to providing dental screening and evaluation. In digital dentistry, the patient’s oral cavity is visualized using high-resolution cameras developed specifically for dental use. A dentist, located at a remote location, then reviews the screening, either live or via a recording. The dentist then recommends care. The Camp Hope medical staff will be integral to the design, setup, running, and evaluation of the pilot study. A Camp Hope nurse practitioner will be trained to do the digital screening. The medical staff at Camp Hope will provide transport to and from the School of Dentistry and will liaise with the dentists to accommodate each veteran’s physical and psychological needs. The PI will supervise the project and be a resource for problem-solving and coordination of its various components.

The study's feasibility will be measured by calculating the rates of enrollment, retention, and treatment adherence. The enrollment rate will be the proportion of those meeting inclusion criteria that enrolled, while the retention rate will be the proportion enrolled that complete the study. Treatment adherence will be calculated as the proportion of intervention sessions attended.

UT Health Science Center is requesting $125,000 for this work, which is about 0.005% of the organization’s overall budget. $69,002 will be utilized for staff, $8,421 for travel to conferences and meetings to share results and learnings, $538 for an intraoral camera, $1,8250 for supplies, $25,030 for subcontract with a nurse practitioner implementing the digital dentistry.

This proposal is one of ten selected finalists for the Expanding Access and Equity for Veterans Oral Health RFP.