1603-12096

Colorado: The Virtual Dental Home (VDH) creates a community-based oral health delivery system in which people receive preventive and simple therapeutic services in community settings where they live or receive educational, social or general health services. It utilizes latest technology to link practitioners in the community with dentists at remote office sites. Dental hygienists in alternative practice (RDHAP), registered dental hygienists working in public health programs (RDH) and registered dental assistants in extended functions (RDAEF) can serve patients in community settings by collecting diagnostic records, providing preventive procedures, in some states interim therapeutic restorations, and case management. When more complex dental treatment is needed, the Virtual Dental Home model connects patients with dentists in the area. Currently, most VDH models are being tested or implemented within safety-net clinics and health systems. The project proposed by the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine (CU SDM) proposes to build a new care system by expanding tele-health technology and teams to private practices where they can provide care to undeserved populations, link them to a dental home with a primary dentist and care team, and locate care centers within close proximity to a patient’s community support systems. The primary goal of this project is to create and demonstrate a replicable and sustainable business model that will allow private dental practices to extend oral health services in non-traditional, community care settings, thereby reducing disparities in oral health access and status. Prior to full implementation, the CU SDM will also seek feedback from the community members that it will serve. Connecting individually and in groups, CU SDM will learn first-hand what prospective patients value and need in terms of oral health. They will also use qualitative research methods, including focus groups, community forums, and surveys, gaining a true sense of the community member’s needs, increasing program buy-in. The proposal aligns with the Oral Health 2020 goal of eradicating dental disease in children and the target that by 2020, 75% of children reach age 5 without a cavity. $157,875 will support the CU SDM to provide necessary infrastructure for the project, and administrative services include conducting focus groups with community partners, making arrangements at non-traditional sites, hiring the hygienist and patient coordinator, conducting quality assessments, and facilitating MOUs between private practitioners and CU SDM.