Sharing and Learning Best Practices for Improving Children’s Health

[Jessica Mindnich, Children Now, Associate Director of Research]

How are you promoting children’s health in your community?

[Maysa Namakian]

The University of the Pacific School of Dentistry is demonstrating a
new model of delivering oral health care to children in Head Start
Centers and elementary schools. This new model of care is called the
Virtual Dental Home and it is a system that promotes collaboration
between dentists in dental offices and community-based dental
hygienists and dental assistants. The hygienists and assistants go to
the schools and centers at which the children are at. Equipped with
portable imaging equipment and an internet-based dental record system,
the hygienist or assistant collects electronic dental records such as
X-rays, photographs, charts of dental findings, and dental and medical
histories, and uploads the information to a secure website where they
are reviewed by a collaborating dentist. The dentist reviews the
patient's information and creates a tentative dental treatment plan.
The hygienist or assistant then carries out the aspects of the
treatment plan that can be conducted in the community setting.

The goal of the Virtual Dental Home is to keep children healthy in
community settings by providing education, preventive care, interim
therapeutic restorations, triage, and case management. Where more
complex dental treatment is needed, the Virtual Dental Home connects
patients with dentists in the area. Most importantly, it brings much-
needed services to children who might otherwise receive no care.

For more information, please visit our website at:
http://dental.pacific.edu/Community_Involvement/Pacific_Center_for_Special_Care_%28PCSC%29/Projects/Virtual_Dental_Home_Demonstration_Project.html


On Sep 21, 5:29 pm, "Jessica Mindnich, Children Now, Associate