In the traditional multidisciplinary dental model, patients are often treated by multiple specialists who focus on different sub-fields. This treatment model lacks coordination and often uses a linear process.
For example, an orthodontist is responsible for adjusting the space to accommodate an implant, followed by a periodontist who completes the implant, and a general practitioner who performs the restoration work.
Although this approach can achieve treatment success when the doctors have the same philosophy, it often leads to complications or unsatisfactory results due to lack of communication.
In contrast, ideal oral treatment should adopt an interdisciplinary model, that is, experts from different fields work together to develop a comprehensive treatment plan before treatment, and encourage patients to participate.
This model focuses on time coordination, clear steps, and clear goals. Each treatment member has clear milestones and responsibilities, and continuous communication and adjustment during implementation.
For example, the “Northwest Dental Excellence Network” is a representative of this interdisciplinary collaboration. It was founded by Dr. Ralph O’Connor and advocates collaborative learning and practice.
Interdisciplinary collaboration not only improves the quality of patient care, but also promotes the development of professionals. For patients, this approach improves treatment efficiency and cost-effectiveness, reduces errors and duplication of services, and enhances the overall experience.
For professionals, participating in collaborative treatment helps expand knowledge, enhance cooperation, and gain peer support in daily practice.
To form an effective interdisciplinary team, it is necessary to screen members with five key characteristics: a sense of collaboration, a willingness to continue learning, a supportive personality, good time management skills, and high integrity.
These members need to have deep professional capabilities, put team goals above personal achievements, and be willing to share ideas in an open, transparent, and non-judgmental atmosphere.
It is worth noting that members with egos or lack of willingness to communicate may undermine the overall effectiveness of the team.
Despite the many benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration, the reality is that dental treatment is still dominated by single or multidisciplinary approaches.
Many dental professionals said that the main reason they did not adopt the interdisciplinary model was the complexity of the operation process and the time spent on communication.
To meet these challenges, a systematic “operating system” is needed to standardize interdisciplinary medical practice and improve treatment efficiency and consistency.
To this end, a four-step framework for developing an interdisciplinary treatment plan is proposed, which can be used as a guide to systematically deal with complex problems. The specific steps are as follows:
Clinical examination and information collection
Includes comprehensive collection of subjective and objective information, such as 3D dental models, X-rays, patient questionnaires, and photos of the inside and outside of the mouth.
At the same time, the patient’s medical history, social background, cognitive level, and expectations are evaluated. The clinical evaluation should cover the overall structure of the face and mouth, including periodontal status, temporomandibular joint function, aesthetics, and occlusal analysis.
Develop a comprehensive list of questions
Analyze all diagnostic data, including 2D and 3D images, questionnaires, and reports, and recommend the use of standardized templates to avoid omissions. This step is the basis for building treatment goals and plans, ensuring consistency and completeness of the diagnostic process.
Establish treatment goals and feasibility assessment
Develop feasible treatment goals based on the list of questions and test their feasibility through simulation. For example, by evaluating whether certain teeth can be biologically depressed to meet space requirements, or whether worn anterior teeth can be restored to some extent, ensure that the goals are scientifically reasonable and predictable.
Develop a detailed treatment plan and implementation sequence
Clearly define the order and responsibility of each treatment link, and team members need to work together around a unified goal. In this process, the gap between ideal and reality should be weighed, economic affordability should be considered, and the physiological compensation mechanism and technical limitations during treatment should be understood.
For example, for adult patients who are unwilling to receive comprehensive treatment, a compromise solution of retaining functional occlusion can be chosen.
The interdisciplinary dental care model not only improves the patient’s treatment experience, but also brings new thinking and development paths to the dental industry. Through clear processes, effective communication and a systematic treatment framework, this model is gradually becoming the future direction of oral medical services.