The many benefits of merging dental and electronic health records
What you'll learn in this article
- How integrating oral health into EHRs enhances care coordination and improves patient outcomes
- Eight essential oral health indicators recommended for inclusion in medical electronic health records
- The “whole health home” model and its role in person-centered, tech-enhanced health care.
- The 2025 ADHA Standards and their alignment with global electronic health record initiatives
- Challenges and policy strategies for global adoption of unified medical-dental record systems
I received an email several weeks ago from the FDI World Dental Federation that included a consensus statement on integrated electronic health records (EHRs). Since I have an interest in technology and electronic dental and health records, I decided to delve into the 34-page report.
For those unfamiliar with the FDI World Dental Federation, it serves as the principal representative body for more than one million dentists worldwide, and it has a bold vision to lead the world to optimal oral health.1 Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the organization represents the dental profession in improving oral health by developing health policies, education programs, and advocating for dentistry internationally.
It was founded in 1900, and it has 130 member countries.2 The focus of the organization is a commitment to expanding awareness of the vital importance of good oral health and its critical role in securing overall health and well-being.1
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) released the updated 2025 Standards for Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice at about the same time as the FDI World Dental Federation. The two publications highlight the importance of oral and systemic health and the need for appropriate documentation and information.
The FDI EHR consensus statement highlights the need for global integration of oral health into existing EHRs and emphasizes the fact that oral health indicators are often excluded from existing EHRs. Inclusion would significantly improve diagnoses, treatment coordination, medication management, patient outcomes, and strengthen interprofessional collaboration.
What’s in the consensus statement
The document identifies eight key oral health indicators that are recommended for inclusion within EHRs.
- Periodontal disease
- Caries
- Oral cancer screenings
- Oral health status
- Medical devices and implants information
- Prescription data
- Allergy information
- Radiographic imaging3
The consensus statement provides a framework for unifying medical and dental records by:
- outlining the benefits of integrating oral health into medical EHRs, including improved care coordination and patient outcomes.
- identifying challenges such as standardization, data security, and stakeholder engagement.
- recommending core health indicators to be shared between medical and dental records.
- providing policy and implementation strategies to drive global adoption.4
Another area the consensus statement discusses is “whole health home.” With whole health home, a team-based interprofessional approach is created to promote well-being and prevent disease. It’s where personal devices can be used to improve monitoring and health management.
The use of personal devices already exists with Bluetooth toothbrushes and smart devices. These monitor physical activity or dietary intake, which helps health-care providers access necessary information to make informed and shared decisions regarding a patient’s care.3
A person-centered rather than patient-centered health-care system can be created by using the whole health home. Leveraging integrated EHRs promotes data-driven decision making, artificial intelligence applications, and public health surveillance.3
Standards of Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice
The ADHA 2025 Standards of Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice serve as a framework to guide dental hygienists in delivering safe, ethical, and evidence-based care.3 The assessment standard includes: a discussion of the patient’s health history, including systemic diseases or conditions; a clinical assessment, including periodontal assessments and hard and soft tissue assessments; and risk assessments for behavioral, social determinants of health, and other risk factors.
The need for and use of appropriate radiographic imaging following the ALARA principle (as low as reasonably achievable) is also highlighted. Many of the areas discussed in the assessment standard are reflected in the FDI consensus statement. Specific to dental hygiene, the ADHA standard reviews the dental hygiene diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation in dental hygiene care.
The final standard, documentation, is key. Documentation is complete and accurate recording of all collected data, diagnosed needs, individual involvement in care planning, consent for treatment, implementation of planned services and monitoring of progress, evaluation of treatment outcomes, prognosis, continued care recommendations, related communication, and other interactions and information relevant to care.
Documenting entries into a person’s EHR makes care information available to the interprofessional health-care providers for coordination and communication of services.5 Throughout the document, person-centered care is the focus. Person-centered care is integrated health-care services delivered in a setting and manner that’s responsive to individuals and their goals, values, and preferences, in a system that supports good provider/patient communication and empowers providers and patients to create effective care plans together.5
Thinking about the FDI EHR consensus statement and the ADHA Standards, dental hygienists need to be advocating for our patients and profession. There are several people and organizations in dentistry that are moving the profession toward becoming integrated with our medical colleagues and the overall health-care system.
The time is coming when medicine and dentistry will be collaborators in patient care. Are you willing and ready to take the challenge and ensure that you, your practice, and patients are ready for that implementation?
References
1. FDI World Dental Federation. Accessed April 11, 2015. https://www.fdiworlddental.org
2. FDI World Dental Federation. Wikipedia. Accessed April 11, 2015. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FDI_World_Dental_Federation
3. Integration of oral health into EHRs called for by FDI World Dental Federation. Health Tech Newspaper. March 25, 2025. Accessed April 11, 2015. https://htn.co.uk/2025/03/25/integration-of-oral-health-into-ehrs-called-for-by-fdi-world-dental-federation/
4. Consensus statement on integrated health records. FDI World Dental Federation. Accessed April 11, 2015. https://www.fdiworlddental.org/consensus-statement-integrated-electronic-health-records
5. Standards for clinical dental hygiene practice. American Dental Hygienists Association. 2025. Accessed April 11, 2025. https://www.adha.org/education-resources/standards/
About the Author
Ann-Marie DePalma, MEd, RDH, CDA, FAADH, FADIA
Ann-Marie is a graduate of Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists, Northeastern University, and University of Massachusetts Boston. Her passion, dedication, and expertise inspire dental professionals through her CE programs and publications. She has experience as a clinical hygienist, a faculty member, consultant, and software trainer, and is a fellow in several dental hygiene organizations. Ann-Marie is an Esther Wilkins Distinguished Alumni of Forsyth Award recipient. Beyond dentistry, Ann-Marie volunteers in several local community organizations.