Dental Home Model

The dental home model of care is a comprehensive approach to providing a regular source of care to communities with limited access to oral health care.

The dental home model emphasizes overall wellness through improved oral health status, increased collaboration among providers, and the promotion of health education. Rural communities are designing dental homes for both adults and children.

Example of a Rural Dental Home Program

The Michigan Community Dental Clinic program has been replicated in rural communities. This network of public health clinics serves adults and children on Medicaid as well as low income, uninsured individuals. This program is striving to expand the clinic system to establish dental homes for persons unable to obtain care in private sector settings.

Implementation Considerations

The dental home model emphasizes wellness, prevention, and disease management. The staff that may support dental homes include dental hygienists, dental assistants, nutritionists, and health educators. The services provided through dental home programs may include screenings, referrals for other services, and outreach to identify people who are at greatest risk of oral disease. Because of the services provided and the outreach component, the dental home model requires collaboration across other providers, agencies, and organizations in the community.