Promoting Whole Health in the Dental Setting: Steps Toward an Integrated Interprofessional Clinical Learning Environment Involving Pharmacy, Social Work, and Nursing

Provides direct patient care through psychosocial assessment, intervention, and care coordination in order to improve patient treatment outcomes.

Collaborates with community partners in order to improve the patient referral experience and enhance the relationships patients have within their home communities.

Consults with dental and oral hygiene students on gathering psychosocial health information and using effective communication skills (i.e., managing patients’ anxiety or fears, motivational interviewing skills, among others).

Serves as advocates for patients’ needs and considers how social factors are influencing treatment and care plans.

Provides student and patient consultations on acute and chronic disease management, patient education, and assistance with primary and specialty referrals.

Promotes convenient and approachable access, which enhances the school’s ability to meet both non-urgent oral and physical health needs.

Provides oral health care of medically complex patients and diagnoses and treats the oral ramifications of systemic disease.

Provides medical management of neurologic conditions, dermatologic conditions and pain syndromes that affect the orofacial region.

Provides care before, during, and after cancer treatment to reduce or prevent the incidence of complications related to cancer or its treatment.

Provides student, faculty, and patient consultations on comprehensive medication management, impact of medications on oral health, acute and chronic disease management education, patient education, and assistance with referrals for primary care and medication access.

Consults with dental and hygiene students to create complete and accurate home medication lists and recommend safe medication use practices.