Dental Medical Integration
A New Approach to Integrated Patient Care
At the heart of optimal health lies the connection between oral health and overall health. This is why we’re dedicated to bridging the gap between dentistry and comprehensive healthcare. Our commitment to this approach means that our supported clinicians will play a pivotal role in not just treating oral health issues, but also contributing to the overall well-being of their patients.
Advanced, Proven Technologies
We utilize advanced, proven technologies to offer clinicians and patients invaluable insights into comprehensive health.
Education
We empower clinicians and patients with education on the Mouth-Body Connection and the importance of dental-medical integration.
Integrated Practices
We create integrated practices to promote collaboration between clinicians, challenging the traditional separation of dental health from overall health.
The Mouth-Body Connection
The Mouth-Body Connection refers to the link between oral health and overall health, and the role the harmful bacteria and inflammation in the mouth can indicate and induce systemic conditions throughout the body. Knowing a patient’s dental and medical history can help eliminate gaps in care and support value-based treatment. Focusing on the Mouth-Body Connection empowers our supported-clinicians to deliver enhanced care, elevate the patient experience, and improve personalized treatment.
Our Practice Management System is Epic®
We were the first dental organization to implement Epic into all our supported practices. This innovative effort increases access to integrated, comprehensive healthcare by offering primary medical care and oral health care all in one place. Integrated health records provide a holistic view of a patient’s overall health, allowing clinicians to design a more effective treatment plan that ultimately helps patients achieve and maintain better oral and overall health.
Technologies Making a Difference
Dental-Medical Integration in Action
Patient Education
Information about the Mouth-Body Connection can benefit patients when making choices necessary to maintain or improve overall health. Our sister brand, Smile Generation, is a patient-facing platform that helps patients find a trusted dentist in their area. The Smile Generation website also provides education on oral health topics through the Generations of Smiles magazine and blogs. Here are some relating to the MBC:
Clinician and Industry Education
We provide education for clinicians, both within our supported network and to the industry as a whole. Some examples include:
In 2023, we hosted the first Mouth-Body Connection® Symposium for supported dentists, dental hygienists, and primary care providers. Esteemed experts shared insights on leveraging preventive dentistry and integrating dental and medical care, ultimately improving patient health outcomes.
The Smile Generation website features many resources for clinicians, such as a book titled, 32 Reasons to Learn More About the Mouth-Body Connection.
Integrated Practices
With dental-medical integration as the central framework for quality care, our experienced dental and medical professionals are positioned to effectively provide comprehensive care with valued outcomes. Our pioneering pursuit of breakthrough in healthcare means we’re constantly expanding and integrating it into our practices.
We promote collaboration among clinicians and are taking various approaches to integrating dental and medical care, such as:
- Co-Locations – Locating a dental and medical practice under one roof, or next door to each other.
- Partnership Practices – We are opening co-location practices with MemorialCare. Learn more
- Embedded Practice – Add medical within a dental practice to provide patients additional care in one location.
- Referrals - Collaborate with unaffiliated healthcare organizations to provide referrals to nearby practices.