Integrating pediatric oral health into primary care: A public health strategy to combat oral diseases in children across the United States
Pediatric Clinic, William. D Kelley School Dental Clinic, Kornberg School of Dentistry, Temple University, Pennsylvania, US.
Review
International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Updates, 2024, 07(01), 027–036.
Article DOI: 10.53430/ijmru.2024.7.1.0026
Publication history:
Received on 12 February 2024; revised on 20 March 2024; accepted on 23 March 2024
Abstract:
This paper examines the importance of integrating pediatric oral health into primary care as a strategic approach to addressing these disparities and improving oral health outcomes for all children in the United States. It explores the current state of pediatric oral health, highlighting existing disparities and barriers to access to care. It discusses the potential benefits of integration, including increased access to care, early intervention, improved continuity of care, and enhanced patient outcomes. It reviews successful integration models and strategies for overcoming challenges. By prioritizing pediatric oral health within primary care and implementing evidence-based integration strategies by examining the prevailing landscape of pediatric oral health, including extant disparities and access barriers, it underscores the urgency of holistic intervention. It elucidates the multifaceted advantages of integration, encompassing augmented access to care, timely intervention, bolstered continuity of care, and amplified patient outcomes. These models underscore the potency of collective action, fostering seamless communication, fortified care coordination, and bespoke oral health services catering to diverse pediatric needs. Moreover, it delves into the intricacies of overcoming entrenched challenges, including reimbursement intricacies, workforce scarcities, and resource limitations. By foregrounding pediatric oral health within the primary care milieu and propelling evidence-based integration strategies, transformative strides toward eradicating oral diseases in children are envisaged. It posits that by cultivating a paradigm wherein pediatric oral health is seamlessly interwoven into primary care, a future characterized by equitable oral health outcomes and universal well-being beckons.
Keywords:
Pediatric oral health; Primary care integration; Oral health disparities; Public health strategy; Childhood dental disease; United States
Full text article in PDF:
Copyright information:
Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0