Interprofessional Collaboration in Improving Oral Health for Special Populations.
People with complex medical, physical, and psychological conditions are among the most underserved groups in receiving dental care and consequently have the most significant oral health disparities of any group. The traditional dental care delivery system is not able to deliver adequate services to these people with "special needs" for a variety of reasons. New systems of care are evolving that better serve the needs of these groups by using interprofessional teams to reach these individuals and integrate oral health services into social, educational, and general health systems.
Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, 155 Fifth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. Electronic address: pglassman@pacific.edu.
Paul
P
Glassman
Pacific Center for Special Care, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Maureen
M
Harrington
Pacific Center for Special Care, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Maysa
M
Namakian
Special Care Clinic, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Paul
P
Subar
D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D003729:Dental Care; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009909:Oral Health
Disabilities; Health services for persons with disabilities; Health status; Interprofessional relations; Oral health; Patient care management; Teledentistry; Virtual dental home