Virginia Health Care Foundation

There is increasing recognition of the vital role oral health plays in overall health, influencing everything from the ability of a woman to carry a pregnancy to term, to chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  Dental providers and medical providers are now becoming partners in care.

• The following materials, developed for VHCF Tooth Talk, provide important information on both the connections between oral health and systemic health and the collaborative efforts and care integration between dental health providers and medical teams.
  • The Oral/Systemic Connection
  • Integrating Oral Health and Medical Care
  • Dental/Medical Collaboration
• The comprehensive Surgeon General’s report, Oral Health in America, is available online both in English and Spanish.
• Explore tools and resources to integrate oral health and primary care services with the Oral Health Coalition’s Integration Toolkit.
• ADA Emphasize Importance of Flossing and Interdental Cleaners.
• Enhanced Care Through Appropriate Medical Referrals (ECTAMR)  ECTAMR is a grass-roots initiative between Dentists and Medical Care Providers to improve access and quality of pediatric oral health care by enhancing appropriate referral timing (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry).
• Engaging Primary Care Medical Providers in Children’s Oral Health  This report overviews dental care programs across states, focusing on initiatives utilizing primary care providers.
• The American Academy of Periodontology provides information about the link between inflammatory gum disease and chronic health conditions.
• The SBIRT for Dental Practitioners Online Course is a self-paced online course that contains six modules of instruction covering topics related to Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) . The SBIRT Model is an evidence-based practice used to identify, reduce and prevent problematic use, abuse and dependence on alcohol and illicit drugs.
• Virginia’s Quit Now program provides resources for smoking cessation.