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Enhanced Dental Teams

EDT Toolkit #1: Building Partnerships

In this toolkit you'll find information on why partnerships are important, how to build one, resources for partnerships and sample success stories. If there is any additional information you require on partnerships, please contact your local Regional Coordinator.

Understanding Enhanced Dental Teams

dental team

Enhanced Dental Teams (EDTs) utilize available technology and workforce resources to:

  • Increase community outreach
  • Reduce access barriers for dental care
  • Improve triage and entry into care system
  • Establish dental homes
  • Increase productivity in delivering care
  • Better meet needs of communities and families

Review the About Enhanced Dental Teams page for information and resources including the strategies of teledentistry and affiliated practice, EDT mapping and practice model examples.

Why a Partnership?

Partnerships connect providers and communities and are key to the success of developing EDTs to improve workforce capacity, diversity and flexibility for providing oral health services to underserved populations. There are various ways partnerships can form as it is based on community needs.

Who are potential partners? Sample partnerships include:

  • Pediatric Dentist - Affiliated Practice Dental Hygienist - Kindercamps
  • Pediatric Dentist - Satellite Practice - Affiliated Practice Dental Hygienist - Referrals by Local General Dentists
  • County Health Department - First Things First Community Outreach - Affiliated Practice Dental Hygienists - Affiliated Practice/Teledentistry Dentists
  • Pediatric Dentist - Health Initiative Supported by a Hospital - School District - NAU
  • Pediatric Dentist - A Pediatric Group Practice - An OB-GYN Group Practice
  • General Dentist - A Mobile School Based Oral Health Program
  • County Health Department - School Based Dental Sealant Program - Teledentistry

Building a Partnership: How to Get Started

Our Regional Coordinators can assist you in setting up a partnership. They will assess how and where you want to work and will connect you with others looking to partner.

  • Join a Regional Oral Health Coalition
    Coalition meetings and events are a great way to network for partnerships. Regional Coordinators can give you meeting information. If you know of potential partners that would benefit from the coalition meetings, use the template below and customize it with your information.
  • Recruit Oral Health Champions
    There are many professionals and individuals dedicated to improving oral health in Arizona. These oral health champions are role models in their communities and are making a difference in the lives of children and adults. Consider the oral health champions you know and how they could fit into an EDT partnership. Below you'll find resource materials for presenting EDT information to other potential partners.
  • Integrate EDT Strategies
    Would teledentistry or affiliated practice, or a combination of both, be best for your community?

Presenting to Other Partners and Decision Makers: Resource Materials

Below are various resources to help you present about EDTs to other partners and decision makers:

Additional Resources for Building Partnerships

  • Making a plan
  • Technical support
  • Networking with EDT partners

Partner's Role

  • Identify opportunities within partner's influence
  • Address startup needs like equipment, AP contracts, etc.
  • Where to get training and technical support
  • Helping in planning and implementation
    • List of support that the regional coordinators can provide
    • Guide to implementing EDTs

Note: Information provided in PDF files, unless otherwise indicated.