Protect Tiny Teeth: A Medical-Dental Integration Quality Improvement Project

Oral health is integral to overall health, yet many lack access to dental services. Prenatal providers and pediatricians see patients frequently during the periods of pregnancy and infancy and are perfect partners to screen and educate patients about oral health. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) created the Protect Tiny Teeth toolkit, an oral health communications resource designed to foster authentic conversations between pregnant patients and families about oral health. The tools were implemented in quality improvement projects to test the materials and inform recommendations to implement oral health services. Results showed that with support, prenatal care providers and pediatricians can effectively integrate preventive oral health services into medical settings.