Community of Practice for Dental Providers Serving Children on Medi-Cal Dental: Needs and Progress in Alameda County.

Background: California has a shortage of dentists able and willing to treat children in the Medi-Cal Dental Program. A dental community of practice (DCOP) model was used in Alameda County to increase provider skills and capacity and to support their Medi-Cal program participation. This paper describes the Alameda County DCOP and the experiences of the participating dental providers. Methods: Dental providers were invited to join the DCOP and receive program benefits in exchange for accepting children from the Medi-Cal Dental Program in their practice. A mixed-methods study utilizing surveys and focus groups with participating dental providers was conducted, assessing and documenting their experiences, benefits and challenges of participating in the DCOP. Results: The DCOP program enrolled 169 dental providers and delivered 14 C.E. courses (49 total C.E. units). Additionally, 132 dental providers completed Wave 1 surveys, and 42 providers completed Wave 2. The majority (68%) felt participating in the DCOP increased their capacity to serve children under age 5 in the Medi-Cal Dental Program. Eight focus groups were conducted with 47 dental providers. Focus groups discussed preferred C.E. topics, serving children in the Medi-Cal Dental Program, community dental care coordinators (CDCCs), family oral health education (FOHE), and the emergent theme of building community among dental providers. Conclusion: Dental providers felt participating in the DCOP helped increase their capacity and confidence to serve low-income children. They also felt there was value in uniting with colleagues in a community dedicated to improving children's oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]