Interprofessional Collaboration among Family Physicians, Radiology Technologists, Pharmacists and Dental Assistants in Early Detection and Management of Osteoporosis through Dental Radiographic Screening
1 Family medicine, National guard hospital.
2 Radiology technology, National guard hospital.
3 Pharmacist, National guard hospital.
4 Dental assistant, National guard hospital.
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 24(01), 2848-2857
Publication history:
Received on 15 September 2024; revised on 25 October 2024; accepted on 28 October 2024
Abstract:
Interprofessional collaboration between family physicians, radiology technologists, pharmacists and dental teams offers a promising strategy for closing the osteoporosis detection and treatment gap. This systematic review synthesized evidence on (1) the diagnostic performance of dental panoramic radiographs for identifying individuals with low bone mineral density (BMD) and (2) models of collaborative care integrating primary care, pharmacy and oral health services for early detection and management of osteoporosis. Electronic databases were searched for studies published between 2010 and 2023. Ten original studies evaluating radiomorphometric indices or deep learning applied to dental panoramic radiographs against densitometric reference standards were included, alongside ten review/guideline papers on dental radiographic screening, interprofessional care and pharmacist-led osteoporosis management. Panoramic indices such as mandibular cortical width, mandibular cortical index and panoramic mandibular index consistently showed moderate to strong correlations with BMD and acceptable sensitivity and specificity for identifying osteopenia or osteoporosis, particularly in postmenopausal women. Recent deep-learning models further improved classification accuracy using panoramic images and clinical covariates. Reviews and guidelines highlighted the persistent treatment gap, the feasibility of opportunistic screening in dental settings and the positive impact of pharmacist- and team-based interventions on testing and treatment rates. An interprofessional pathway linking dental radiographic findings with family medicine and pharmacy services could enhance early detection and guideline-concordant management of osteoporosis.
Keywords:
Osteoporosis; Dental panoramic radiography; Mandibular cortical index; Interprofessional collaboration; Family medicine; Pharmacist; Screening
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