Abstract

Most dental conditions are largely preventable through oral care practices and acquired healthy habits. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that when multiple healthcare professionals work together with patients, families, and communities, they can deliver a higher quality of care. Primary Care Providers (PCP) such as physicians, nurses, and physician assistants, are often the patient’s first and only point of entry into the health care system. Many medical conditions have oral manifestations and numerous systemic conditions affect the oral health adversely. Therefore there is a need for PCP to receive more experiences regarding oral health and inversely, dental professionals should also expand their scope of knowledge to screen for chronic systemic diseases. This model of PCP and dental professional working together may result in the delivery of high quality health care, inclusive of oral health. Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) is the forerunner for Interprofessional Education with the unique structure of graduate students from nine healthcare colleges. WesternU College of Dental Medicine (WesternU CDM) has developed an innovative Interprofessional Collaborative Practice curriculum to integrate oral health education for students from the College of Graduate Nursing, College of Allied Health Professionals, Physician Assistant Program, and Family Medicine Residents at the Pomona Valley Medical Center.