Bruce Donoff, MD, DMD, dean of Boston-based Harvard School of Dental Medicine, says it's time to end the antiquated division between medicine and dentistry and "bring the mouth back into the body."
In an op-ed for STAT, Dr. Donoff writes there is an unnecessary schism between the two medical professions and comments on the interconnectedness of oral and overall health. To bridge the gap, he writes the medical community must make a concentrated effort to create a multidisciplinary approach to ensure patients receive the best care possible for all aspects of health.
"Poor oral health is more than a 'tooth problem.' We use our mouth to eat, to breathe and to speak. Inflammation in the gums and mouth may help set the stage for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions … Unfortunately, incentives for creating this [cohesion between medicine and dentistry] are minimal at this time. Dentistry's reliance on procedures for payment and separate insurance coverage presents a problem. The slow movement toward bundled payments for healthcare to create value based upon outcomes, rather than volume, could help … We cannot drill, fill and extract our way to better oral and overall health. We need a fundamentally different approach, one that accentuates disease prevention and health management using a multidisciplinary, integrated and patient-centric approach to overall health. And that means breaking down the wall between dentistry and medicine."
To read Dr. Donoff's op-ed, click here.
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