Advancing Oral Health Through Multidisciplinary Care Models: A Scoping Review of Collaborative Practices

Purpose: To map the literature assessing current multidisciplinary care approaches and their benefits in the pediatric population. Methods: Collaboration levels between primary care providers and dental providers were gauged using Arksey and O'Malley's 5-stage review process. Three databases were used-PubMed, Google Scholar, and Wiley-to explore existing studies using keywords such as "integrated care", "dental", and "medical and dental". Results: The practice models were classified according to the type of health collaboration and ranked by level of collaboration. Of the 30 practices highlighted, 14 were ranked as high collaboration, 10 were ranked as low collaboration, and 2 were ranked as medium collaboration. Practices demonstrating high collaboration primarily led to a decrease in no-show appointments, an increase in referrals, and growth in dental utilization. The low collaboration practices led to a reduction in dental caries and restorative treatment and a minimization of preventative care gaps. Conclusions: At least some form of healthcare collaboration is valuable to the patient's experience and treatment. Each of the 3 types of collaborations presents varying barriers, including a lack of provider time, electronic health records, state practicing laws, and interprofessional education. Regardless of the barriers, the future of healthcare is geared towards patient-centered care, meaning specialty care brought to the patient. This study demonstrated the oral health advantages of a multidisciplinary approach to early childhood caries.