Initiative to Integrate Oral Health and Medicine

About the Initiative

The Initiative supports a core academic mission of Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) — the integration of oral health and medicine. Initiative-supported projects pilot innovative models of education, training and clinical practice; measure clinical outcomes; and evaluate financial models to provide the evidence-base required to demonstrate value and affect policy change. The Initiative serves as a hub for innovation and collaboration, focusing on activities such as:

• Conducting cutting-edge research.
• Publishing influential policy statements.
• Hosting impactful conferences and seminars.

By addressing the separation of oral health and primary care, the Initiative aims to transform health care delivery and improve patient outcomes.

Objectives

• Shape public policy
  Foster discussions and develop policies to advocate for integrating oral health and primary care, engaging corporate leaders and public officials.
• Build interdisciplinary connections
  Connect Harvard faculty, students, industry leaders, and other institutions to create effective recommendations for oral health integration.
• Collaborate with partners
  Work with national, state, and local organizations to identify strategies that improve oral and systemic health outcomes.
• Provide scholarly review
  Analyze clinical and epidemiological data to inform evidence-based practices linking oral and systemic health.

Breaking down barriers between dentistry and medicine

Funding and impact

With the support of the initiative, HSDM is leading efforts to bridge the gap between oral health and overall health, driving innovation in research, education, and care delivery. Faculty members have secured HRSA grants that advance the goals of medical dental integration:

• $3.5 million established a national center to develop oral health competencies for primary care providers.
• $1.5 million launched a national center dedicated to improving care coordination for vulnerable older adults.

To strengthen data-driven decision-making, HSDM also created a national data repository and assembled a dedicated data science team.

The School has also conducted a systematic review of existing literature highlighting the cost savings associated with integrating medical and dental benefits and launched a comprehensive review of national claims data to validate survey findings. 

On the global stage, HSDM has sponsored and actively contributed to an International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) working group in partnership with FDI World Dental Foundation to develop a global repository of outcome metrics.

Further advancing interdisciplinary care, HSDM has developed a detailed operations and business plan for an innovative team-based clinical practice and training center. Collaborative efforts have also led to the design of a longitudinal study on healthcare integration and a comprehensive review of oral health literacy and benefits utilization for employees at a major international corporation. Through hosting leadership forums, HSDM continues to foster dialogue and collaboration, driving progress in integrating dentistry and medicine to improve health outcomes for all.