The Big Picture
Surgeon General's Report on oral health in 2000 highlighted that:
- Dental care is the most common unmet health need.
- Oral disease can adversely affect systemic health.
- Much oral disease is preventable or at least controllable.
- Profound disparities in oral health and access to care exist for all ages.
- Interdisciplinary care is necessary to achieve optimal oral and general health.
Medical and health institutions across professions are increasingly acknowledging the inter-relationship between oral health and overall health.
- In 2011, the Institute of Medicine published 2 documents addressing the role of all health professionals in oral health and training suggestions for non-dental providers on oral health topics.
- In 2014, HRSA produced a document with clear roles and responsibilities for primary care providers.
- Qualis Health published a white paper on "how" offices can integrate oral health into work flow and then followed with an integration document containing tools and work flow ideas for practices (2015).
- Many professions have created training and integration tools:
- OHNEP (Oral Health Nursing Education and Practice) has created a faculty toolkit for the nursing profession
- Physician Assistants have created and disseminated practice tools through their oral health initiative.
- Midwives, Pharmacy and Community Health Workers are increasingly addressing oral health in training and practice.
References
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A national call to action to promote oral health. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. NIH Publication No. 03-5303, May 2003.
IOM (Institute of Medicine) and NRC (National Research Council). 2011. Improving access to oral health care for vulnerable and underserved populations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2011. Advancing Oral Health in America. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
US Department of Health and Human Services. Health Resources and Services Administration. Integration of oral health and primary care practice. Feb 2014. Accessed: January 9, 2017.
Qualis Health. Oral health: An essential component of primary care. Case examples. June 2015. Accessed: January 9, 2017.
Hummel J, Phillips KA, Holt B, Virden M. Safety Net Medical Home Initiative. Organized, evidence-based care supplement: Oral health integration. Seattle WA. Qualis, 2016. Accessed: January 9, 2017.