Over 18 months, oral health practitioners, patients, researchers, and other experts came together to develop a consensus vision for a patient-centered future for oral health in North Carolina. The work of the Oral Health Transformation Task Force, supported by The Duke Endowment, has produced 14 recommendations focused on delivery of equitable, accessible, integrated, high-quality oral health care.
The NCIOM Oral Health Transformation Task Force envisions a patient-centered future for oral health in North Carolina, in which oral health care is redefined as comprehensive and seamlessly integrated with overall health. In this future, dentistry is a valued contributor to improved health and exists within a landscape where high-quality oral health care transcends siloed care and complicated administrative processes. This vision aims to change oral health by placing patients at the center and emphasizing accessibility, equity, and integration within the broader health care landscape. Oral health plays a critical role in individual and community health outcomes and is intricately connected to physical, mental, and social well-being. By envisioning a future where oral health is incorporated into the larger health care system and aligned with the desired future of health in North Carolina, our state can ensure that patient needs drive investments and care decisions and that all residents receive timely, tailored, and personalized oral health care that complements whole-person health.
