Community Dental Network—The Necessity and the Problem—

Abstract

Due to Japan’s rapidly aging population, patients with some kind of severe systemic disease are increasingly going to the dental office. As such, society’s need of dentists who can treat these types of patients is higher than before. Unfortunately, sometimes general practitioners are unable to give these patients appropriate care because of the high risk of their treatment. So, a community dental network between dental offices and the hospital is becoming necessary. I have received many referrals to treat such high-risk patients for many years while work at several hospitals. I would like to talk about my history and the achievements I made in creating a community dental network, and make some suggestions based on my experiences.