10 steps to collaborating with pediatric medical providers

By | June 15, 2015

Looking to work with pediatric medical providers in your area?

Here are 10 steps to help you with your outreach effort, courtesy of the ADA’s Action for Dental Health, a nationwide, community-based movement aimed at ending the dental health crises facing America today.

Pediatric Dentistry

  • Step 1: Invite a pediatrician or family practice physician to lunch to discuss how you might collaborate to build an interdisciplinary approach to better health for the patients who frequent one or both of your offices. Discuss the patient’s seen and what their oral health needs are.
  • Step 2: Discuss patients ages newborn to five, who have not yet seen a dentist. Discover if your medical colleague discusses oral health questions/issues with the child’s parents or caregiver.
  • Step 3: Introduce the medical provider to oral health resources such as the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Chapter Advocacy Training on Oral Health.
  • Step 4: Discuss what it means to the oral health of a child to add a caries risk assessment, anticipatory guidance, placement of fluoride varnish as appropriate and a referral to a dentist by one year of age are routine part of a well-baby visit.
  • Step 5: Check with the state/local dental society and/or American Academy of Pediatrics chapter to see where similar collaborative oral health programs are working.
  • Step 6: Discuss successful programs that have demonstrated success in this area, such as North Carolina’s “Into the Mouth of Babe” (http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dph/oralhealth/partners/IMB.htm) program.
  • Step 7: Discuss how medical providers can be reimbursed for these services.
  • Step 8: Offer to present an in-service to the physician’s staff on the importance of good oral health for young children. Discuss why “baby teeth” are important and the dire consequences of rampant decay in youngsters.
  • Step 9: Discuss how you might engage others within their community to support your efforts. These groups might include senior citizens, Early Head Start and Head Start teachers, and pediatric residents within the local hospital.
  • Step 10: Share your success stories with the local dental and medical societies demonstrating the value of collaboration.

To read the full 10-step process, click here.

For more information about the ADA’s Action for Dental Health, visit ADA.org/action.

3 thoughts on “10 steps to collaborating with pediatric medical providers

  1. Paige

    These are great tips for collaborating with medical providers. It’s always a good idea to reach out to other professionals and discuss business topics. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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