Catching the MBC Wave to Provide Pediatric Dental Care

Epic® can help identify mentalhealth roadblocks to providing oral health care.

As PDS-supported clinicians and team members continue to familiarize themselves with the patient information available in Epic, one pediatric dental practice owner dentist, Christine Marcelo Aquino, DDS, of My Kid’s Dentist & Orthodontics (Office 7012) in Norco, Calif., is leveraging shared health information through Care Everywhere, Epic’s interoperability technology, to identify mental illnesses that may contribute to adverse oral health conditions in her pediatric dental patients.

“Before Epic, we were unable to get a complete picture of the child’s medical history and the challenges they were experiencing, especially if not documented by the legal guardian in the medical history questionnaire,” Dr. Marcelo Aquino said. “With Epic, we are able to connect with our patients more holistically because we have a more thorough look into their medical and mental health history.”

Pediatric owner dentist Nailah-Tillman-Mukoro, Oak Forest Dental Group and Orthodontics (Office 647) agrees. “Epic allows oral health providers to work collaboratively with primary care providers by opening communication channels for efficient comprehensive care. Tasks such as medical clearances and consultations are now easily facilitated inside the interface.”

This is crucially important as mental and behavioral illnesses are on the rise in children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of adolescents aged 12-17 reported having a major depressive episode and 18.8% seriously considered attempting suicide. Through the framework of the Mouth-Body Connection, we know that oral-systemic health links also include mental health. Studies show that 65% percent of patients who reported poor mental health also reported doing nothing about their oral health symptoms. In addition, mental illness may lead to confusion regarding diagnosis and planned treatment and difficulty recalling instructions, which may foster mistrust between dental providers and their patients.

Now that providers have access to more patient information using Epic, these conditions can be identified and treated sooner. Epic can help providers educate about the Mouth-Body Connection by identifying opportunities to build a relationship of trust and empathy with patients and their mental health. “With this knowledge, we can have a better understanding of the patient’s home routine and motivation to keep up with oral hygiene, snacking habits and stress-induced habits,” Dr. Marcelo Aquino explains. “Just as important, we can even have an opportunity to be a voice of positivity and listen to a patient talk about their day and reinforce available health resources.”