Madlen P. Caplow, MPH: No financial relationships to disclose
Description: In the US, sixty million people live in dental health professional shortage areas and certain racial/ethnic groups are disproportionately impacted by oral disease. Dental caries remains the leading chronic disease of childhood. Since the first Surgeon General’s report on oral health in 2000 to the recent National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research’s report on oral health advances and challenges, both federal agencies and national organizations have recommended that the interprofessional workforce be educated to increase access to oral health services, including risk assessment, screening, preventive interventions, education, and referral. Integrating oral health services, particularly fluoride varnish application into well childcare is an evidence-based recommendation yet implementation challenges persist. Arcora Foundation launched a virtual medical-dental integration collaborative in 2020, focusing on increasing oral health services into medical visits. Four health systems in Spokane WA that see the majority of the pediatric Medicaid population (two FQHCs and two commercial medical groups) were invited to participate in quarterly Zoom calls. Regular meetings, despite COVID-19 stress, provided teams with an opportunity to share challenges, best practices, barriers, and enthusiasm/cheerleading for this work. The group is facilitated by the Arcora Foundation’s MouthMatters’ program manager and a pediatrician/nationally recognized oral health champion who provide teams with expertise on quality improvement, best practice guidance, state integration rules, cross group learning, sharing, and support from participating teams. Come learn how our teams are overcoming barriers and designing effective primary care teams to actively integrate oral health services in medical settings for young children.
