Why dentistry belongs in a multidisciplinary clinic

Five to ten years ago, dentistry was mostly extractions and simple fillings. Today everything has changed. Modern dentistry includes:

1. •

   Dental implantation

   Surgical placement of titanium implants in the jawbone.

2. •

   Bone grafting

   Restoring bone-tissue volume.

3. •

   Sinus lift

   Surgery on the maxillary sinus.

4. •

   Re-implantation

   Replacing implants after failures.

5. •

   Complex orthodontics

   Using microimplants.

All of these are full surgical operations. They demand the same approach to surgical, medication and infection safety as general surgery.

Under modern standards, any surgical intervention — including dental — requires an assessment of the patient's general health. This is a requirement of the American Dental Association (ADA), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and international patient-safety protocols.

Integrating a general practitioner into dental routing brings multi-level benefits that go beyond pre-operative safety.

A 2025 study analysed more than 15 million dental procedures. Serious infectious complications — sepsis, endocarditis, brain abscesses — occur in 12.8 people per 100,000 procedures, and the rate is rising. Risk factors: age over 60, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain medications.

12.8 : 100,000

Rate of serious infectious complications across more than 15 million dental procedures (2025) — and it is rising

78.4%

Of dental-clinic patients had above-normal blood pressure

+46%

Higher odds of closing care gaps with integrated care (up to 2.08× at maximum integration)

91%

Of patients are willing to receive information about diabetes and cardiovascular risk in a dental setting

A dental visit is a unique opportunity to screen for systemic disease. Among older patients in the ElderSmile programme, 7.8 percent had previously undiagnosed diabetes and 24.6 percent undiagnosed hypertension.

1. •

   Lower clinical risk

   A professional examination provides a higher standard of quality than a questionnaire alone.

2. •

   Lower legal risk

   A documented pre-operative assessment protects the clinic if complications arise. Perioperative cardiovascular complications occur in 3 percent of admissions for non-cardiac surgery.

3. •

   Better coordination of care

   Team-communication quality is directly tied to satisfaction: with good communication 81 percent of patients are highly satisfied, with poor communication only 22 percent.

Targeted screening of at-risk patients is economically justified. A general-practitioner consultation costs far less than treating complications — hospitalisation, extra procedures, legal expenses. Integration lets us catch problems before they manifest.

We do not just treat teeth — we care for your health as a whole. That is why dentistry in our clinic is part of a multidisciplinary team rather than a standalone service.