Health as we experience it is often compartmentalized – annual medical checks up for the body and biannual dental visits for the mouth. At PlanAm we find ourselves questioning why such rigid boundaries persist between oral health and medical wellness. The reality is that our health does not operate in silos. The mouth is not an island. Far from it -it’s a vital gateway connected to every aspect of our physical well-being. Therefore the integration between these fields is necessary to achieve comprehensive health.

Why hasn’t this integration already taken root? Historically, dental and medical fields have operated separately- from the schools to the insurance and especially the approach to care. Patients often treated their dentist as optional whereas their primary care doctor was of the upmost importance. But that’s changing. Forward thinking healthcare providers and industry leaders are starting to form the bridge to the gap that exists between dentistry and primary care. Perhaps no better example of this occurs than clinics who offer dental, medical and a whole host of services all under one roof. Despite this, patients remain key in driving this movement forward through their demand for a holistic approach and providers need to, in turn, prioritize their patients concerns.

Close your eyes and imagine a world in which your primary care doctor and dentist share their notes on you. A dental exam could reveal early signs of vitamin deficiencies which could potentially lead to a medical follow up which, in turn, could prevent larger issues from occurring down the line. This collaborative approach saves the patient and caregiver time, money, and most importantly health. We must be our own advocates, the integration of medical and dental wellness is not a luxury only afforded to some but a necessity in achieving a healthier world.