The Medical Oral Expanded Care (MORE Care) initiative focused on integration oral health into primary care practices in four states (South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Oregon). This paper describes the initiative’s collaborative methodology and assesses its outcomes. Key findings drawn from the work that started in 2015 and ended in 2020:
- The percentage of pediatric patients receiving fluoride varnish increased from 25% to 40%.
- The percentage of pediatric patients with self-management goals reviewed increased from 25% to 62%.
- The percentage of pediatric patients with oral health risk assessments completed increased from 47% to 77%.
This analysis, published in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry, demonstrated that MORE Care is effective in creating a structure for integrating oral health care into primary care practices.
You may also be interested in:
- Medical Oral Expanded Care (MORE Care), an initiative of CareQuest Institute that aims to integrate oral health competencies and capabilities into primary care offices while building patient-centered referral networks with local dental providers using health information technology.
- Oral Health Value-Based Care: The Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Story, a white paper that explores how and why community health centers are often well-positioned to adopt value-based care.