If a group of dentists, policymakers and health care analysts got their way, North Carolina would do some revamping of its oral health care infrastructure to make routine cleanings and preventative care more accessible to hundreds of thousands of people.
If routine dental care were more accessible to large segments of the state — those on the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder or perhaps in rural regions that have provider shortages — it could have a positive impact on the overall health of the state, the group said.
For nearly 17 months, a North Carolina Institute of Medicine Oral Health Transformation Task Force has studied how to make that happen. The group invited speakers, held meetings and conducted interviews with an array of experts. Their hope was to strengthen the delivery of oral health care so it is comprehensively and “seamlessly integrated with overall health,” according to a 118-page report issued last month by the task force.
Source: Making a Case for Oral Health Care and More Access to Dentists / The Good Men Project