The Impact of Interprofessional Integration Between Dentistry, Nursing, and Social Care on Oral Health Quality for Older Adults and People With Disabilities
Published 2024-03-15
Keywords
- Dentistry, dental assistant, nursing, and social work Geriatric and Special Care Dentistry, Nursing Integration, Interprofessional Collaboration, Social Determinants of Health, Integrated Oral Healthcare, Oral Health Equity, Disability Care.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
The global expansion of the elderly population and the increasing prevalence of long-term disabilities have exposed fundamental limitations in traditional, siloed dental care models. These models often fail to address the complex bio-psychosocial needs of vulnerable populations, particularly older adults and individuals with disabilities. This study examines the impact of interprofessional integration among dentists, dental assistants, nursing professionals, and social service providers on the quality, accessibility, continuity, and equity of oral healthcare.
Drawing on contemporary academic literature, international guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the FDI World Dental Federation, and comparative care models from Japan, Sweden, Brazil, and the United Kingdom, the analysis demonstrates that integrated, team-based approaches significantly reduce unmet oral healthcare needs. Within this framework, nursing professionals play a pivotal role in linking oral health services with broader medical and long-term care systems through early detection of oral health deterioration, daily oral hygiene support, pain assessment, and coordination of care across settings.
The findings underscore the complementary contributions of social workers in addressing social determinants of health, dental assistants in providing essential clinical and psychosocial support, and dentists in leading diagnosis and management of complex oral-systemic conditions. Notably, the absence of structured nursing involvement is identified as a critical gap in existing oral healthcare delivery models, particularly in community and long-term care contexts.
Despite clear benefits, interprofessional integration remains constrained by systemic barriers, including fragmented financing, professional silos, and insufficient interprofessional education. The study concludes that embedding oral health within the broader medical, nursing, and social care continuum is not merely a matter of service optimization, but a human rights imperative essential to achieving health equity for ageing and disabled populations..