Oral Diseases and Noncommunicable Diseases: Focus on the Role of Mid-level Health Care Personnel in a Multidisciplinary Team

According to the World Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for more than 71% of all deaths worldwide. Since oral diseases share common risk factors with some NCDs, and given that there is a bidirectional relationship between both groups of diseases, it can be argued that the integration of dentists into the care of NCDs can be a key component of an effective response to combat this group of diseases. Dentists have the skills and experience in the prevention, control and detection of oral diseases that share common risk factors with NCDs, with a bidirectional relationship between both groups of diseases. In addition to the involvement of dentists and general practitioners in the management of NCDs, mid-level health workers (NHWs) are another link that plays a significant role in the prevention and treatment of this group of patients, given their action at the intersection of all medical disciplines and their access to a large number of patients at all levels of the health system. In addition, the importance of the work of NHWs lies in the ability to quickly adapt to different conditions of medical practice, which makes them indispensable in the fight against NCDs. Examples of successful interaction models, the functions of emergency medical services in early detection of diseases, educational work with patients, as well as the role of modern technologies in increasing the efficiency of their activities are considered. In addition, the review article also emphasizes the importance of digital technologies, including the use of electronic medical records and telemedicine, which simplify interdisciplinary interaction and ensure higher accuracy of diagnosis and therapy with the creation of individual treatment plans that take into account both the medical and social needs of patients.