Embracing Integration

Dental and medical professionals alike have long been aware of the implications of the oral-systemic link, and today, many of our patients are too. Given that, how should our knowledge of this link affect the way that we practice? Many feel that it warrants more of a link between the professions through what has come to be known as medical-dental integration. In our November cover story, Inside Dentistry examines how the incorporation of dental preventive care into medical care not only closes gaps regarding access but also alleviates the burden of disease for patients and, subsequently, the cost burden placed on the nation's healthcare system. Conversely, the concept of medical-dental integration also involves the further incorporation of medicine into dental practice, including the adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems, expanded diagnostics, increased referrals to physicians, and more.