A dental school's role in developing a rural, community-based, dental care delivery system for individuals with...

The long-standing problem of access to dental care for persons with developmental disabilities in rural Northern California has been addressed in several communities by a unique community-based program. The goal was to create a coalition to coordinate dental school resources with those of a consortium of agencies to address problems in the local communities. This program established a community-based model demonstrating the provision of quality preventive and therapeutic dental services to these individuals. Through this program, dental care delivery systems were formed in three rural communities involving local community dentists and agency personnel. The role of the dental school was: (1) to establish and then work with a consortium of hospitals, agencies, dentists, and other dental personnel; (2) to train local dental personnel; (3) to establish and equip hospital dental facilities; (4) to conduct dental screening and triage clinics; (5) to consult with local agencies and dentists; (6) to act as a referral center for patients with complex medical situations; and (7) to develop and disseminate preventive dentistry training materials.