linking dental with medical: the role of the dental professional
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
1
Linking Dental with Medical:The Role of the Dental Professional
Carl L. Stoel, DDS, MSBASenior Dental Consultant BCBSM
American Association of
Dental Office ManagersOctober 27, 2007
2
AgendaMaking the Link to Overall Health
Roles and Responsibilities:
Health Plans
BCBSM
Physician
Dental Professional
Linking Dental with Medical:The Role of the Dental ProfessionalLinking Dental with Medical:The Role of the Dental Professional
3
Connecting Oral Health to Overall Health
Medical
BCBSM
Dental
Health plans make the link
4
Connecting Oral Health to Overall Health
“You’re not healthy without good oral health.”
Dr. C. Everett KoopFormer U.S. Surgeon General Chairman, Oral Health 2000
5
Terminology and Definitions
You may understand but your customers may not:12 percent of the adult population can’t understand health information that doctors, hospitals and insurers use
6
Terminology and Definitions
Medical• Diabetes• Hypertension• Ischemic Heart Disease• Low Birth Weight• Osteoporosis
7
Terminology and Definitions
Gingivitis• Inflammation of gingival
tissue without loss of connective tissue
Periodontal disease • Bacteria and toxins that
invade tissues around the tooth
• Causes gum inflammation• Brings about tooth loss• Bacteria and toxins enter
blood stream and invade other areas of the body
• 34% of people over 30 years old have periodontal disease
Frequent teeth cleanings and
complex periodontal services reduce the
incidence of periodontal disease
8
Other Medical-Dental Disease Links
• Oral cancer• Radiation and chemotherapy - osteoradionecrosis• Pulmonary disease (aspiration pneumonia)• Stroke• Heart valve replacement• Joint replacement• Post cancer surgery complications• Pancreatic cancer in men• Medications and xerostomia• Auto-immune diseases
9
Other Medical-Dental Disease Links
• HIV• Lichen planus• Gingival infiltration in acute myelogenous
leukemia• Bulimia• Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis• Chronic kidney failure/renal insufficiency• Sjogren’s syndrome
10
Dental Care History and Trivia
11
History of Dental Care
• 2600 BC - Death of Hesy-Re, an Egyptian scribe, often called the first “dentist”
– An inscription on his tomb includes the title, “the greatest of those who deal with teeth, and of physicians.” This is the earliest known reference to a person identified as a dental practitioner.
• 500 to 1000 AD - During the early Middle Ages in Europe, medicine, surgery, and dentistry are generally practiced by monks, the most educated people of the period
Source: ada.org
12
Making the Link to Overall Health
13
Dental Care – For a Lifetime
Dental care starts early• 1st exam 1-3 years old• Counseling with caregiver • Cavity prevention – fluoride
rinse and/or fluoride varnish• Preventive twice-yearly
cleanings
14
Dental Care – For a Lifetime
Adding Value• Middle and later years
– Effects of systemic disease treatment on oral health
– Effects of medications on oral health
– Identifying risks associated with oral health as one ages
• Some Medicare HMO plans are recognizing the link and adding basic dental benefits to their plans
15
Making the LinkDentistry – The Forefront of Overall Health
Patients visit the dentist more frequently than their regular physician.
16
Making the LinkDentistry – The Forefront of Overall Health
• Dental exams and health questionnaire can help– Assess overall health– Uncover hypertension– Uncover cardiovascular disease– Detect oral cancer - accounts for 2% to 4% of cancers in the
U.S.– Diagnose and treat periodontal (gum) disease - 80 percent of
adults will have some form of periodontal disease
• This leads to overall better health
Source: cdc.gov
17
Making the Link to Overall Health: Diabetes
What is the annual direct cost of diabetes in the U.S.?
A) $500 million
B) $1.8 billion
C) $27 billion
D) $92 billion
18
Making the Link to Overall Health:Diabetes
• Centers for Disease Control data for the year 2002 shows direct costs of $92 billion, and total costs of $132 billion
• BCBSM (a large health plan) data indicates average annual costs of $8,600 per member
• Affects 7 percent of the U.S. population
Source: cdc.gov
19
Making the Link to Overall Health:Diabetes
• Periodontal disease worsens diabetes – bacteria released into the blood stream contributes to the inflammatory process
• Diabetes worsens periodontal disease – weakening of connective tissue structure affects gums
20
Making the Link to Overall Health:Heart Disease
What is the percentage of deaths in the U.S. due to heart disease?
A) 15 percent
B) 19 percent
C) 26 percent
D) 29 percent
21
Making the Link to Overall Health:Heart Disease
• Heart disease accounts for 29 percent of deaths in the United States
• BCBSM data shows average annual cost of ischemic heart disease of $10,500 per member
• CDC projects cost of heart disease in the U.S. at $393 billion
Source: cdc.gov
22
Making the Link to Overall Health:Heart Disease
• Bacteria found in the plaque of the arterial walls include many of the same types found in the periodontal pockets
• Bacteria creates an inflammation that causes plaque build-up in the small arteries of the heart, restricting blood flow to the heart muscle, which can lead to a heart attack
Source: cdc.gov
23
Making the Link to Overall Health:Low Birth Weight Babies
What is the average cost of a preterm birth?
A) $5,000
B) $7,500
C) $9,000
D) $10,500
24
Making the Link to Overall Health:Low Birth-Weight Babies
• CDC calculates the average cost of a preterm birth at $10,500
• Overall medical costs exceed $5 billion
• In 2000, 11.6 percent of infants were born preterm in the U.S.
Source: cdc.gov
25
• Hormonal fluctuations can lead to gingivitis and periodontal disease
• Bacteria of periodontal disease is also found in amniotic fluid and placenta
• Mothers with periodontal disease tend to deliver premature babiesSource: cdc.gov
Making the Link to Overall Health:Low Birth-Weight Babies
26
Making the Link to Overall Health:Oral Cancer
How many people are diagnosed with oral cancer in the U.S. each year?
A) 15,000
B) 20,000
C) 25,000
D) 30,000
27
Making the Link to Overall Health:Oral Cancer
• According to the CDC, 30,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with oral cancer every year
• Oral and pharyngeal cancer account for 2% to 4% of cancers diagnosed in the U.S.
• Oral cancer occurs twice as often in males as females
• Tobacco users have a high incidence of oral cancer
Source: cdc.gov
28
Making the Link to Overall Health:Oral Cancer
Early detection of oral cancer enables less invasive treatment, higher survival rate
– Early stage survival rate is 80%– Late stage five-year survival rate is 20%
Source: cdc.gov
29
Making the Link to Overall Health:Oral Cancer
• Some health plans cover dental oral brush biopsy, an early detection tool
• Some plans like BCBSM offer smoking cessation programs to members and have developed specific tools to help medical providers discuss tobacco with at-risk patients
30
Making the Link to Overall Health:Oral Piercing
• Oral piercing involving the tongue, lips, cheeks, uvula or a combination of sites implicated in adverse oral systemic conditions
• Following piercing certain symptoms are common– Pain and swelling– Infection – Increased salivary flow– Injuries to the gum tissue
• Additional risks – Obstructed airway due to pronounced edema– Aspiration of jewelry
Source: ada.org
31
Roles and Responsibilities:Health Plans
• Innovative plan designs• Use of evidence-based dentistry guidelines• Additional benefits for at-risk patients• Work with societies to encourage dentists to
donate their time to free clinics
32
Roles and Responsibilities:Health Plans
• Education to promote awareness among:– Dentists
– Physicians
– Professional societies
– Plan members
– General public
33
Roles and Responsibilities:BCBSM
• Collaborating with University of Michigan School of Dentistry on research project to demonstrate and quantify medical savings of good oral care in diabetic patients
• Donating $1 million in grants in 2007 to 32 free health care clinics that provide low-or-no-cost health or dental care to more than 78,000 uninsured people
• Incorporating preventive dental services into some medical plans
• Offering individual products so members who lose group coverage can continue dental care
34
Roles and Responsibilities:BCBSM
• Coupons for– Extra free cleaning to medical and dental members who suffer
from diabetes or ischemic heart disease– Extra free cleaning for medical and dental members who are
pregnant—doctors and nurse-midwives give coupon to patient at time of diagnosis
– “Quit the Nic” smoking cessation program participants
• “Happy Birthday” mailer to parents of 3-year-olds to encourage regular dental care
35
Roles and Responsibilities:Physician
• Be aware of link between oral disease and systemic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, and pregnancy complications
• Ask patients if they are seeing a dentist regularly• Observe oral soft and hard tissues• Work with dentist to manage co-morbidity associated
with systemic inflammation and oral periodontal disease
• Make appropriate referrals
36
Roles and Responsibilities:Dental Professional
Dentist can detect 120 disease symptoms in the mouth• Early detection of systemic diseases and
recognition of oral manifestations • Often first to identify a systemic health problem
based on what they see in the patient’s mouth• Oral evaluation and diagnosis
37
Roles and Responsibilities:Dental Professional
Periodontal risk assessment• Educate patients about link between periodontal
disease and systemic diseases• Periodontal scaling and root planing• Periodontal maintenance• Antimicrobial therapy• More frequent prophylaxis
38
Roles and Responsibilities:Dental Professional
Influence your patients’ oral health to improve their overall health• Get patients into the chair for preventive and
periodontal services• Identify patients that have medical conditions which
may require more frequent preventive visits • Get patients back for treatment• Reactivate patients
39
Roles and Responsibilities:Dental Professional
• At-risk patients need to be motivated– BCBSM group project– Patient awards and incentives
• Recognize the risk status of the patient• Educate the patient• Provide counseling• Distribute brochures and information
40
Roles and Responsibilities:Dental Professional
Intervention is key• Referrals to periodontal specialists• Referrals to physicians• Develop relationships with physician colleagues
41
Roles and Responsibilities:Dental Professional
Insurance carriers have stepped up to the plate. Now it’s the dental professional’s turn. – Embrace the new information– Stay on top of patient recalls– Fill your appointment books– Use your people skills to influence patients
• Improved oral and overall health = better quality of life• Better oral health could reduce overall health care cost
42
Connecting Oral Health to Overall Health
Medical
BCBSM
Dental
Dental professionals can make the link!
43
For Additional Information
cdc.govcontent.nejmoralhealthamerica.orgdeltadental.comada.orgjada.ada.orgallaboutvision.comoral-cancer.orgkff.org healthdecisions.orgebri.org vsp.comnei.nih.gov/healthdeltadental.comaaopt.orgaoa.orgpreventblindness.orgbenefitselling.comsocsci.uci.edudiabetes.orgBlueHealthConnection.com
44
Questions?