Many Californians face serious obstacles in obtaining dental services. These individuals may have complex medical, physical or social conditions that make it difficult to get to a dentist's office. They may be institutionalized, economically disadvantaged or living in remote areas. Regardless of their circumstances, they are failing to get their needs met via traditional dental care provision. As a result, they have significantly worse oral health than those in other segments of the population.
By creating a "Virtual Dental Home" in seven sites throughout California, University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry's Pacific Center for Special Care hopes to deliver oral health services in locations where people live, work, play, go to school and receive social services. The Pacific Center has partnered with a number of funding organizations to implement a demonstration project to bring much-needed oral health services to these underserved populations.
The Virtual Dental Home creates a community-based oral health delivery system in which people receive preventive and simple therapeutic services in community settings where they live or receive educational, social or general health services. It utilizes the latest technology to link practitioners in the community with dentists at remote office sites.
The goal is to demonstrate that registered dental hygienists in alternative practice (RDHAP), dental hygienists working in public health programs (RDH) and registered dental assistants (RDA) can provide education, preventive care, interim therapeutic restorations and triage to patients. Where more complex dental treatment is needed, the Virtual Dental Home also connects patients with dentists in the area.
This system promotes collaboration between dental offices and these community-based oral-health professionals (COHP). Most importantly, it brings much-needed services to individuals who might otherwise receive no care.
This model relies on the advanced training and community-based practice of a group of oral health professionals. In the Virtual Dental Home, the RDHAP, RDH, or RDA collaborates with a dentist to provide care. Technology helps bridge the geographic gap between community provider and dentist.
Equipped with the latest portable imaging equipment, the RDHAP, RDH or RDA collects electronic dental records such as X-rays, photographs and dental and medical histories, and uploads the information to a secure website where they are reviewed by a collaborating dentist. The dentist reviews the patient's information and creates a tentative dental treatment plan. The RDHAP, RDH or RDA then carries out the aspects of the treatment plan that can be conducted in the community setting. These services include:
The COHP refers patients to dental offices for procedures that require the skills of a dentist. When such visits occur, the patient arrives with a diagnosis and treatment plan already determined, preventive practices in place and preventive procedures having been performed. The patient is likely to receive a successful first visit with the dentist as the patient's dental records and images have already been reviewed. All of this adds up to a more successful dentist visit.
The Virtual Dental Home is being launched at six sites in California in 2009/2010.
The Virtual Dental Home model expands the duties of oral health professionals practicing in the community. Once trained, RDHAPs, RDHs and RDAs are able to collaborate with dentists to establish diagnostic services and to provide preventive, temporary restorative services directly to people who might otherwise not be able to get dental care. This model demonstrates that RDHs, RDHAPs or RDAs can help maintain the oral health of underserved people in the communities where they live, while still connecting patients to dentists if they need more complex care.
Funding for the Pacific Center's Virtual Dental Home project is provided by:
