Dietitian Sophie Medlin on why dental clinics should take a joined-up approach to patient wellness.
The connection between oral health and overall wellbeing is gaining widespread recognition. Today’s health-conscious patients are increasingly drawn to dental practices that go beyond traditional care, with teams that understand the mouth as a vital gateway to overall health. They value practitioners who emphasise the critical link between nutrition and oral health, helping them make informed choices that benefit both their smiles and bodies.
Patients are eager to understand how their diet influences their dental health, how specific treatments may affect their microbiome and how improved oral care can contribute to their quality of life. As a result, we are now witnessing a shift in how private dental clinics market themselves regarding wellness.
Dentists who address these concerns can help foster a more comprehensive, patient-centred approach to care and position themselves as modern-thinking business owners.
To this end, collaborating with a dietitian brings many benefits. By referring patients to dietitians, dentists and their teams can be assured that patients receive appropriate advice and support for making dietary changes that enhance their dental health.
Dietary changes are often essential yet challenging; dietitians can recommend the most significant adjustments and how to implement them using counselling techniques to foster behaviour change.
As we know, poor oral health is rarely an isolated issue. Dietitians can also help identify the underlying causes of oral health problems and involve the patient’s GP when necessary to investigate and address any additional medical issues that may contribute to poor oral health.
Whole system approach
A dental clinic can effectively commit to holistic patient care by listing a dietitian or dietetic practice as a partner on its website and recommending a reliable dietitian to patients.
As a gut health dietitian, patients often ask me about oral health issues such as the oral microbiome, bad breath problems and concerns regarding antibiotic use in dental procedures, making it essential to have a dependable dental partner for referrals.
While the tangible financial benefits to the dental practice may be limited, it is well understood that addressing patient concerns is crucial for attracting new clients. For this reason, publicly engaging with a dietitian shows a commitment to patient care and highlights to them the importance of holistic teamwork and a whole-systems approach.
At my nutrition clinics, patients often express concerns about using antibiotics during dental procedures and confusion regarding how certain whole foods – such as dried fruit – affect their teeth. While I always encourage them to follow their dentist’s advice on medication, I have experienced first-hand how a collaborative approach between dentists and dietitians can lead to significantly better patient outcomes.
1. Identify willing partners: locate local dietitians, private GPs, or other healthcare professionals open to collaboration. Discuss possible referral pathways and explore mutual benefits, such as discounts for shared patients
2. Offer CPD opportunities: invite a dietitian to deliver a virtual or in-person CPD session for your dental team. This helps the team better understand the scope of a dietitian’s work and encourages stronger referral relationships
3. Streamline referrals: create simple referral letters or email templates that can be quickly sent to the dietitian, detailing the reason for the referral. This keeps the process clear and consistent
4. Consider an in-house GP: partnering with a private GP can significantly reduce patient wait times for medical issues impacting oral health. Offering a multidisciplinary approach under one roof may enhance patient outcomes and satisfaction
5. Foster long-term relationships: building regular communication channels with your referral partners ensures seamless, ongoing collaboration that benefits your practice and their practice and patient outcomes
6. Collaborate on content creation: develop joint content for your social media posts, website or newsletters to educate patients on the relationship between oral health, diet and overall wellness. This will showcase the benefits of collaborative care to patients.
Good advice
So, how can we best structure these partnerships? Dietitians often work remotely, enabling a dental practice to connect with a dietetic practice anywhere in the country for support. That said, a local dental practice collaborating with a local dietitian is more likely to facilitate referrals to the dental practice.
Once a partnership is formed, collaborating on website content, social media information and presentations from the dental team to the dietitians – and vice versa – for continuing professional development can be beneficial. Sometimes, a small referral fee from the dietitian to the dental practice may be appropriate. However, it is essential to understand that margins within dietetics are slim since we don’t sell products; we only offer our advice.
If there are shared patients, constructive communication between the dietitian and dentist is crucial for providing coordinated care. There are numerous ways to establish interdisciplinary collaboration, and a successful business model can take various forms.
Knowledge is power, and by collaborating effectively and sharing information, dietitians and dental professionals can improve patient outcomes, particularly regarding oral health, nutrition and the oral microbiome.
Optimal outcomes
Consider a case of a patient with diabetes and poor oral health. If we can reduce the patient’s blood glucose levels through a dietetic partnership and educate them on healthy eating to support oral health, there is excellent potential for interdisciplinary collaboration. Other examples include individuals with gut dysbiosis, which also affects the oral cavity; inflammatory bowel disease; elderly patients who are malnourished due to dental issues; patients with osteoporosis impacting their teeth; children needing education on eating for better oral health, and many more.
A dentist can refer a patient to a trusted dietitian by letter or email or by providing leaflets for the dietetic practice within the surgery to distribute to patients who may hesitate to request a direct referral.
Once the dietitian has met with the patient, a letter can be sent back to the dentist outlining the plan and outcome of their care. This allows dietitians and dentists to collaborate for optimal patient outcomes by working together toward common goals.
Patients or their dentists often notice the benefits of lifestyle changes in the oral cavity sooner than other health markers, further motivating the patient.
Collaboration
I’ve been lucky to have been introduced to dental practices through patients and friends. My knowledge of dental issues and the dentist’s knowledge of when to use nutrition information has been dramatically enhanced. This may be just a quick text to clarify a potential problem, such as asking for advice or a referral from a dentist to a dietitian or vice versa.
Patients paying for private dental care and those paying for a dietitian are clearly motivated to take care of their health and have the financial means to do so, making them fall into the same pool of people whom the dental and dietetic practices aim to attract as patients.
By collaborating, we can engage with the same audience and benefit from cross-referrals within the partnership. This also helps the dental practice achieve optimal positioning to attract patients.
At the same time, dietitians can share their knowledge about the relevant holistic health enquiries patients raise, thereby aiding the dental practice’s profile.
By promoting whole-body wellness in your practice, you elevate patient care and position yourself as a thought leader in modern dentistry.
