At DentaQuest, we’re dedicated to selling preventive care and serving to sufferers prioritize it starting in early childhood and lasting all through their grownup life. As a part of this dedication, we’ve launched applications to acknowledge and reward suppliers for his or her preventive care efforts.

Not too long ago, we accomplished one in all these applications in Tennessee and distributed bonus funds to suppliers who targeted on minimally invasive preventive care to enhance well being outcomes for TennCare members. DentaQuest had the chance to talk to Robert Caldwell, DMD, and William Campbell, DDS, two pediatric dentists who accomplished essentially the most silver diamine fluoride (SDF) and purposes, about their method to preventive care and why it’s so necessary to oral well being.

How lengthy have you ever been working with DentaQuest Tennessee?

Caldwell: I’ve labored with DentaQuest since I started my follow in December 2005.

Campbell: I’ve labored with DentaQuest for over 20 years and have accepted TennCare sufferers from the start.

In your opinion, why are SDF and sealants remedies necessary to an individual’s oral well being?

Caldwell: Prevention is the ticket, particularly for pediatric sufferers in our follow. We advise sufferers on how you can keep away from cavities and provides them these instruments to place the percentages of their favor. SDF and sealant remedies are key elements of our preventive programming — it’s in our blood. These remedies present sufferers with extra decisions in relation to their remedy choices and provides extra energy to oldsters over their youngsters’s oral well being. For a few of my sufferers, their weight loss plan isn’t the perfect or generally each mother and father work lengthy hours and youngsters do not get supervised whereas brushing their enamel. Cases like these are precisely why sealants are necessary — it permits us to guard a child’s child enamel.

Campbell: Preventive care is close to and pricey to my coronary heart as a result of my father was an early advocate for preventive dentistry and including fluoride within the water in Tennessee. We comply with in his footsteps by incorporating preventive remedies, similar to SDF and sealants, into our care plan. I additionally suppose that individuals don’t all the time consider utilizing SDF as a result of they’re cautious of the potential staining. It actually can decelerate tooth decay and has helped forestall a few of my very younger sufferers from dropping a tooth. I incorporate these remedies every time I see a possibility to stop decay.  

What’s the perfect half about offering care to TennCare enrollees?

Caldwell: I like that I’ve the chance to be the educator in addition to the fix-it man for the mouth. I take pleasure in it when sufferers who need assistance come to us and I can repair them, assist their ache and educate them on how you can keep away from sure points going ahead. I’m the form of practitioner that wishes to be there not simply when they’re hurting, however to supply preventive care as nicely.

Campbell: The beauty of TennCare is that I get to impression folks ranging from 1-year-olds throughout sufferers’ adolescence. And since mother and father or grandparents are those bringing these children to their appointments, I’ve the chance to heal and educate throughout generations. I like drugs and being a dentist permits me to be a healer to those that want it most.