title: Oral Health on Wheels: A Service Learning Project for Dental Hygiene Students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide dental hygiene students with a service learning opportunity to work with special needs and culturally diverse underserved populations through the Oral Health on Wheels (OHOW) community based mobile dental hygiene clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  A student feedback survey was administered between the years of 2009 and 2013 to 90 students in order to gather and identify significant satisfaction, skills acquisition and personal growth information after the student's clinical experience on the OHOW. ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient statistical analysis were utilized to investigate relationships between student responses to key questions in the survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An analysis of 85 student responses (94.44%) demonstrated statistically significant correlations between student learning and their understanding of underserved populations, building confidence in skills, participation as a dental team member and understanding their role in total patient care. The strong correlations between these key questions related to the clinical experience and students confidence, skills integration into the dental team, and understanding of both total patient care, and the increased understanding of the oral health care needs of special populations. All questions directly link to the core mission of the OHOW program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The OHOW clinical experience allows dental hygiene students a unique opportunity to engage in their community while acquiring necessary clinical competencies required by national accreditation and providing access to oral health care services to underserved patients who would otherwise go without treatment.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Flick
authors.forename: Sheri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: Carrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carter-Hanson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000193:education*; D005178:Faculty; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063731:Mobile Applications; D008952:Mobile Health Units; D009909:Oral Health / Q000193:education*; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000193:education*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: access to care; alternative practice; clinical education; cultural competency; dental hygiene; dental hygiene work force models