Beyond the Operatory: Unlock the Dental Practice’s Value in Neighborhood Health
Friday, January 29, 2027
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Course Code:
655RL
Room:
MCEC Multi-Site Classroom
Cost:
$29
Credits:
1
CE Hour
In this course, attendees will explore how dental practices can expand their role in improving community health through early disease identification, preventive screening, and dental-medical integration. The presentation will provide practical updates on saliva-based diagnostics, including current applications, emerging technologies, and lessons learned from PDS Health's implementation experience. Participants will review outcomes from large-scale initiatives involving aMMP-8 saliva screening, HbA1c testing, blood pressure screening, and integrated care workflows. The course will examine evolving reimbursement opportunities, including relevant CDT codes and insurance considerations. Attendees will also gain insight into the impact of shared health records through Epic and how data integration supports collaboration between oral health and medical providers. Through real-world examples and clinical outcomes, participants will better understand how dental practices can contribute to earlier disease detection, improved patient engagement, and reduced overall healthcare costs. The session will highlight how dentistry can serve as an essential entry point for preventive and predictive healthcare.
Speakers
After this course attendees will be able to:
- Describe the evolving role of dental practices in identifying systemic health conditions and supporting community health initiatives
- Define current saliva screening technologies, including aMMP-8 testing, and their potential clinical application
- Understand reimbursement considerations, including CDT coding and insurance coverage related to medical screening activities in dentistry
- Examine how integrated electronic health records support collaboration between oral health and medical providers
- Develop preventive screening protocols that can be incorporated into everyday clinical workflows
- Recognize the relationship between early disease detection and improved patient outcomes through dental-medical integration
- Determine the potential impact of dental practices on healthcare costs, patient engagement, and population health outcomes
The Pacific Dental Services (PDS) grant has been applied to this course.
The Massachusetts Dental Society is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider
ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at
ADA.org/CERP