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Doctors in the vicinity of Portland, Ore. are starting a push for coordinated care. This means that they will integrate some kind of basic mouth exam during physicals.
This will involve patients who are part of the CareOregon plan because there is a shortage of dentists in the area of Oregon where they are situated. Young children and mothers will be visited by a mobile dental clinic to provide the preventive dental care and avoid more costly procedures in the future.
This will take place in Clackamas County, which is just south of Portland.
New studies by the Institute of Medicine indicate that roughly one third of all American families live in areas with a deficiency of dentists. There are also more than four million children that don’t receive the dental care they need because their parents cannot afford it.
If more doctors in isolated areas implemented basic dental checkups into their physicals, it could lower the amount of emergency room visits. Patients will have better oral health and would avoid the serious problems that sometimes develop if no preventive measures are taken. It will also save money.
In addition, there’s the possibility of identifying other issues with a basic dental exam. That’s why regular dental visits are vital to a person’s overall health.
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