Group Supports New Model Integrating Oral Health, Primary Care.

AAFP News Now (12/24, Crawford) reported that the American Academy of Family Physicians is supporting “a new model for delivering preventive oral health care as a component of routine medical care and enhancing partnerships between primary care and dentistry.” Population healthcare consultant Qualis Health released a white paper earlier this year outlining the model, called the Oral Health Delivery Framework, which “consists of five actionable steps primary care teams can take to protect and promote oral health, including offering preventive interventions and structured referrals to dentistry.” Qualis Health president and CEO Jonathan Sugarman, MD, MPH, said, “Engaging primary care teams in oral health is a critical strategy for reducing the impact of oral diseases and improving population health.”