Bridging The Dental Divide: Overcoming Barriers To Integrating Oral Health And Primary Care

American systems of oral and systemic health—training, licensure, service delivery, and insurance—continue to operate in parallel. It is a fracture rooted in sociologic, political, and market forces rather than underlying physiology. Although the distinction may be artificial, the consequences for patients and providers are real. A growing evidence base points to the cost and quality shortfalls associated with having separate systems treat the same person. Seeking to address these challenges, the Surgeon General recently called for more thorough integration of oral health and primary care. Roughly one in five Americans report needing dental care but lack adequate access, most often due to financial barriers. Integrating oral health services into routine primary care visits could help close this gap. Somewhat surprisingly, the converse is also true. One quarter of the 55 million Americans that do not receive outpatient medical care do see a dentist. Providing basic primary care services during dental visits could improve population health and chronic disease management. Growing awareness of this premise has accelerated efforts to develop integrated delivery models in the primary care setting. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) have led the way. Many FQHCs, which often serve patients whose needs and circumstances expose them to vulnerabilities and disparities in both oral and systemic health, have integrated dental services into their health centers. Notwith...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Costs and Spending Health Professionals Population Health Public Health Quality Dental Care Federally Qualified Health Centers Oral Health Primary Care Source Type: blogs