November 7 - 8, 2011

First Leadership Colloquium
Summary of the First Leadership Colloquium

Focusing on the Alliance priority area of
MEDICAL AND DENTAL COLLABORATION

November 7-8, 2011
Hotel Palomar, Washington DC

At the First Leadership Colloquium, the U.S. National Oral Health Alliance brought together 125 participants from across the country to discuss the role for medical and dental collaboration in building national commitment to optimal oral health for all. Representing a broad range of health-related professions, the participants engaged in dialogue, generated knowledge, and created linkages for ongoing collaboration.

The colloquium framework combined small-group and whole-group discussions to address critical questions about medical and dental collaboration, and included presentations by contributors who provided particular expertise and experience to the discussion. The Summary of the First Leadership Colloquium provides an overview of key areas of focus, shared ideas, and a range of next steps envisioned by the participants

Over the course of the two-day colloquium, the participants began to lay a foundation for medical and dental collaboration in areas of common ground. Through their discussions, which were built on trust and openness, a range of unifying messages started to emerge.

• Stay Focused on the Overall Health of the Individual. Oral health must be an essential and routine dimension of comprehensive health care for all people. Dedicate the entire health care system to the overall health of the individual. The paradigm must shift to ensure early intervention.
• Strengthen Interprofessional and Patient Education. Strengthen health care through the interdisciplinary, cross-functional education of health care professionals – and others who interact with patients. Empower the public through oral health literacy education.
• Integrate Delivery and Financing Systems. Align effective financing systems with prevention-focused, coordinated care to yield better health. Such systems may encourage a wide range of health professionals to work together.
• Examine the Role for Medical and Dental Records in Patient-Centered Care. To strengthen patient-centered interdisciplinary care, coordinate medical and dental electronic health records effectively, build a common knowledge base, and strengthen communication about what works.
• Expand the Dialogue on Oral Health. Replicate and expand this discussion at the local, regional, and national levels. Building on common ground, expand the national platform for medical and dental collaboration.

Resources Supporting Medical and Dental Collaboration:
Smiles for Life National Oral Health Curriculum www.smilesforlifeoralhealth.org
National Interprofessional Initiative on Oral Health www.niioh.org