Adding dental care to regular checkups is helping people with little access to dentists get needed care and referrals

Dr. Braun, left, and dental hygienist Valerie Cuzella work in tandem
to add dental care to regular medical checkups. (KFF photo)

As the number of dentists who serve low-income and Medicaid patients dwindles, primary care providers such as pediatrician Patricia Braun and her team are stretching their skills to include dental care, reports Kate Ruder of KFF Health News. "Braun is part of a trend across the United States to integrate oral health into medical checkups for children, pregnant women, and others who cannot afford or do not have easy access to dentists."

Private and federal money has financed more options for medical providers to deliver dental care during routine medical checkups. Braun and her colleagues launched their integration with help from a five-year, $6 million federal grant. The collective group "has helped train 250 primary care providers in oral health in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and Arizona," Ruder writes. "Similar projects are being funded by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau in Illinois, Michigan, Virginia, and New York. . . . Embedded dental hygienists become part of their practice."

Ruder reports, "Having doctors, nurses, and physician assistants who assess oral health, make referrals, and apply fluoride at community health centers is critical for the many children who lack access to dental care, said Tara Callaghan, director of operations for the Montana Primary Care Association, which represents 14 federally qualified health centers and five Urban Indian organizations."

In big, more rural and sparsely populated states, having a primary doctor address dental needs is ideal. "Because of Montana’s large geographic area and small population, recruiting dental professionals is difficult, Callaghan said. Some counties don’t have a single dentist who takes Medicaid," Ruder reports. "Montana ranks near the bottom for residents having access to fluoridated water, which can prevent cavities and strengthen teeth."

To address its lack of dentists, "Colorado enacted a law to alleviate workforce shortages by allowing dental therapists — midlevel providers who do preventive and restorative care — to practice," Ruder reports. "But Colorado does not have any schools to train or accredit them."