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Policy on Transitioning from a Pediatric to an Adult Dental Home for Individuals with Special Health Care Needs

Policy statement

In order to facilitate successful, comprehensive, and continuous care for all children and adolescents, especially for those with SHCN, the AAPD supports expansion of the medical and dental home across the lifespan of a patient. A coordinated transition from a pediatric to an adult dental home is critical for extending the level of oral health and health trajectory established during childhood and adolescence. The AAPD encourages:

  • enhanced medical-dental integration to support collaboration and communication between dentists and primary or specialty health care providers through unified electronic medical systems or integrated health centers.
  • utilization of the 6 critical steps to maximize seamless health care transition for the adolescent dental patient with special needs. These steps provide a framework to organize and prepare the dentist, patient, and patient’s family for the transition process.
  • expanded efforts within the Commission on Dental Accreditation and educational institutions to prepare general dentists to accommodate and provide primary health care for patients with SHCN.
  • partnerships with other organizations to prepare general dentists to accommodate and provide primary health care for these patients in the usual dental setting.
  • development of special programs or alternative care delivery arrangements (eg, mobile dental programs, teledentistry programs as an adjunct to in-person care, nursing home, group home facilities) to complement the care provided through private practices to address issues for patients with SHCN.
  • institutional restructuring to support general dentists in gaining the credentialing needed to provide care in properly equipped surgical centers for young adults and adults with SHCN.
  • provision of financial assistance for dental treatment for adults with SHCN by local, state, and federal programs.
  • establishment of Current Procedural Terminology codes on transition services with concurrent mandatory reporting to the Center for Medicaid Services on transition in health services and development of quality metrics surrounding transition of care.