Medical-Dental Integration in Ohio: Improving prevention and coordination at the local level

Abstract

Access to high-quality, preventive oral health care is fundamental for an individual to achieve positive health outcomes. Recognizing that health is influenced by where a person lives, it is important to consider how systems of care must adapt to meet the changing needs of a community over time. Medical-dental integration is a critical component designed to enhance and broaden the oral health care delivery model. MORE Care^® is a framework for communities to leverage their resources and relationships by providing tools and resources to integrate preventive oral health services into primary care settings. This report will show how local stakeholders advocated for an innovative approach to improve oral health gaps for children in Ohio. The MORE Care Ohio pilot is expanding access to preventive oral health services by featuring medical-dental integration to close patient care gaps and build an integrated oral health network. Providing a framework for medical and dental teams to collaborate, seven clinical practices (three medical and four dental) agreed to participate in a 9-month learning collaborative and 16-months of performance monitoring.