ORAL CARE

Rural residents often lack access to basic dental services. We’re working to reduce that disparity by helping primary care providers implement oral care into their practice.

About

Thousands of South Carolina residents lack access to basic oral healthcare, especially those living in rural areas of the state. Several strategies seek to reduce the disparities in oral healthcare, including integration of oral healthcare into primary care settings, development of a reliable referral network to dental providers, and the use of telemedicine to increase access to dental providers. The South Carolina Office of Rural Health collaborates with the MUSC College of Dental Medicine Division of Population Oral Health, and the federal Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) to implement these strategies. Nationally, SCORH has partnered with The DentaQuest Foundation, The DentaQuest Institute, and the National Rural Health Association to bring information and resources to rural communities in the Palmetto State.

Did you know?

SCORH’s Medical Oral Expanded Care (MORE Care) program supports Rural Health Clinics as they implement oral healthcare into their practices, resulting in better access to dental care for their patients.

Services Provided

For primary care providers who wish to integrate oral healthcare services, SCORH can offer technical assistance, training and education in the following areas:

  • Connection to state and national experts in oral healthcare issues
  • Technical assistance in identifying oral health needs in patient populations
  • Physician and staff development through meetings and webinars
  • Assistance developing relationships with dental providers
  • Oral health integration into primary care
  • Practice redesign/quality improvement – including alignment with patient-centered medical home & value-based quality metrics
  • Electronic medical records – including reporting and EMR redesign/customization
  • Quality measurement & reporting
  • Health information technology integration
  • Billing and coding

Visit our oral health resource page

Program Contact

LaShandal Pettaway-Brown joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2015 as a practice transformation consultant. In this role, she provides facilitation support to clinics supported by SCORH’s Center for Practice Transformation.  She also coordinates assistance to rural providers in support of oral health integration.

Contact LaShandal

Meet our Provider Services Team