Overview of formal partnership

The Australian Centre for Integration of Oral Health (ACIOH) has formed an international partnership with the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar, beginning in 2024, to advance the integration of oral health into primary healthcare across India. The collaboration's initial focus is on maternal and infant oral health, which will be implemented in phases.   In addition, the partnership encompasses key projects such as integrating diabetes oral healthcare, embedding oral health training into undergraduate nursing curricula, and jointly exploring a dual PhD program to foster innovation and global leadership in healthcare education and practice.

To strengthen this partnership, ACIOH is collaborating with another partner Smilo.ai to promote maternal oral health at AIIMS Bhubaneshwar through a digital health platform. ACIOH signed an MOU with Smilo.ai earlier this year to integrate digital health across its various models of care. 

Collaborators 

  • Smilo.ai

Phase 1: Systematic Review 

  • Comprehensive review of Indian pregnant women's knowledge and practices regarding oral health. 
  • Identifies current practice gaps in antenatal oral healthcare. 
  • Results have been completed and are currently being written up for publication. 

Phase 2: Development of oral health promotional resources 

  • Evidence-based oral health resources for maternal health adapted from ACIOH resources. 
  • These materials are endorsed by AIIMS Bhubaneswar and disseminated widely 

Phase 3: Cross-sectional Survey 

  • A cross-sectional survey with 240 pregnant women has been conducted 
  • Data has been analysed and is currently being prepared for publication 

Phase 4: Antenatal care provider training  

  • Delivery of a tailored oral health training program for midwifery care providers.  
  • Training developed from ACIOH resources and evaluated using a pre-post design. 

Phase 5: Development of digital health platform  

  • Collaboration with Smilo.ai to integrate digital oral health tools into patient care. 
  • Enables pregnant women to receive tailored oral health messages and engage in early screening via the app

Partnership in Action  

 As part of this Memorandum of Understanding, Professor Ajesh George was invited by AIIMS Bhubaneswar to strengthen this collaboration. During his recent visit, the experience was exceptionally productive and included: 

  • VIP guest at AIIMS Bhubaneswar graduation attended by the President of India and cabinet ministers, marking national recognition of joint initiatives. 
  • Invited chief guest and speaker at the AIIMS Foundation Day, participating in high-level panel discussions on innovations in medical technology and artificial intelligence. 
  • Led lectures and training workshops for integrated oral health care with both gynaecology and dental departments, advancing the maternal oral health agenda. 
  • Collaborated with AIIMS leadership, including the Executive Director, HODs of Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Pediatrics exploring new projects in intellectual disability, ICU, diabetes, and medical-nursing education. 
  • Engaged in strategic meetings to develop a dual PhD program, with progress on an official MOU for research training and academic exchange. 
  • Received appointment as Visiting Professor at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, enhancing ties for ongoing collaboration.