Integrating Dentistry into Interprofessional Healthcare: A Scoping Review on Advancing Collaborative Practice and...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Delivery
• Interprofessional Education
• Oral Health Integration

Background:

• Growing recognition of oral-systemic health links.
• Limited integration of dental professionals into healthcare teams.
• Need to map evidence on dental roles in interprofessional healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map existing evidence on dental professionals' roles in interprofessional healthcare.
• To identify benefits, barriers, and facilitators of dental integration.
• To inform strategies for enhancing collaborative care models.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review of PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science (2014-2024).
• Inclusion of studies on dental and non-dental provider collaboration.
• Thematic synthesis following PRISMA-ScR guidelines.

Main Results:

• Integration improved patient outcomes, quality of life, and satisfaction.
• Effective models include nurse practitioner-dentist and medical-dental pediatric/chronic care.
• Barriers: communication issues, lack of interoperable EHRs, role ambiguity, limited training.
• Facilitators: supportive policies, integrated structures, education, strong communication.

Conclusions:

• Dental professional integration enhances healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
• Key barriers include communication gaps and lack of shared health records.
• Expanding interprofessional education and implementing shared records are crucial for cohesive care.