The New World of Dentistry with LoveSmile
By Steven A. Fishman, DDS, FADL, FICD
What is Collaborative Accountability?
Collaborative accountability refers to the interconnected responsibilities that healthcare providers encounter in delivering care amidst the increasing complexity of patient needs. As medical knowledge expands, there’s a growing awareness of the interrelatedness of diseases and a surge in available information across every medical field.
Dentistry, like every scientific and medical specialty, is continually evolving. New research, discoveries, and technological advancements enrich the body of knowledge within the dental profession. Dentistry primarily focuses on the health and function of the masticatory system, which encompasses the ability to chew food but also extends to speech and appearance. This system comprises multiple components that work harmoniously to function automatically.
Integration Across Dental Specialties
Every dental specialty is concerned with various aspects of mastication. The eight recognized specialties, along with sub-specialties, focus on the health and welfare of teeth. Additionally, these specialties involve periodontal tissue, temporomandibular joint, and masticatory muscles. A harmonious interaction among these components ensures lifelong function.
Considering the symbiotic relationship among teeth, supporting tissue, joints, and muscles highlights the overlapping interests of dental specialists. Restorative and prosthetic dentistry, for instance, require periodontal, orthodontic, and surgical considerations. Cosmetic dentistry also needs to balance improved appearance with the function and health of teeth and supporting structures.
System Interconnection
The convenience of separating masticatory system components is misleading. These components are so interwoven that their separation is practically impossible. The body can adapt to variances within any system, but its adaptation tolerance is limited. Violations of the biologic width, such as when restoration infringes too closely on the periodontal bone, can lead to inflammation and require repositioning of the bone to restore health.
Implants exemplify how technological advances can be implemented successfully within acceptable bodily limitations. However, the vast body of information in each dental specialty is too extensive for one person to assimilate. The implementation of this knowledge adds additional challenges.
Providing Excellent Care
The ultimate goal of every conscientious practitioner is to deliver consistently excellent diagnosis and treatment. Many dental conditions require consideration of multiple masticatory
system components. The general practitioner must assess if a patient needs treatment beyond their expertise and understand which dental areas are involved.
The doctor-patient relationship can be visualized as a wheel. The general dentist stands at the center, with specialists positioned around the rim, representing their interconnected roles. Collaborative accountability increases as patient needs become more complex. The rising longevity and desire to maintain dentition result in a greater need for coordinated diagnosis, expertise, and treatment.
The Role of Collaborative Accountability
Collaborative accountability means that dental practitioners are accountable to each other and recognize their roles in patient care. It requires performing their treatment aspects with the proper level of care and expertise, thus providing the patient with comprehensive care.
This approach is necessary to deliver the level of care, consideration, and expertise that patients deserve, especially as treatment complexity and the need for coordinated care rise. Collaborative accountability ensures that each practitioner contributes to the patient’s overall health and well- being.
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