Health Care Practitioners
Integration among all health care practitioners (e.g., family practice, adult and pediatric dental practice, and community health care providers) is needed to effectively serve every community, especially communities that have historically lacked access to the basic building blocks of health, including oral and primary care. Check out our initiatives and resources below to find the information you are looking for and stay current with the most recent oral health trends, resources, and practices in Colorado.
Importance of all Health Care Practitioners in Oral Health
Health care practitioners have an important role in fostering good oral health, which is essential to the overall health of all people. Preventive practices in oral health care are essential in ensuring that people can be as healthy as possible.
Initiatives for Practitioners
Cavity Free at Three (CF3)
Cavity Free at Three trains medical and dental practitioners, clinic staff, and billing staff on preventive oral health services for infants, toddlers, and pregnant people.
School-Based Oral Health Programs
Dental practitioners can partner with school nurses and schools in the local community to offer preventive oral health services. This benefits the local community by improving the oral health of students and community members and establishes the practice as a community resource. Find out about school-based health programs here. (link to sboh initiative page)
Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Oral Health Integration (DCVDOHI)
Oral health and medical practitioners play a key role in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Working in tandem, oral health and medical professionals can improve patient health outcomes and provide comprehensive, patient-centered care delivery through the establishment of bi-directional referral processes and referrals to lifestyle education programs.
Loan Repayment
Find out information on funding to repay qualifying educational loans for primary care providers who see underserved patients at an approved clinical site through the Colorado Health Service Corps website for prospective applicant information, including eligibility requirements.
Community Water Fluoridation (CWF)
Community water fluoridation is the adjustment of the naturally occurring level of fluoride in a public water source to a level that has proven to be beneficial in cavity prevention. Drinking optimally fluoridated water keeps teeth strong and reduces cavities in children and adults. Learn more about your public water source and whether it’s optimally fluoridated on the CDC’s My Water’s Fluoride page. Click the link to learn more about resources and tools to support patient conversations about the benefits and safety of optimally fluoridated water.
