GHI Family Dental Practice Embraces CAMBRA Model

As of February 1, 2011, EmblemHealth’s GHI Family Dental Practice (GHIFDP) in Albany now offers the caries prevention program CAMBRA to all interested patients. The program's goal is to prevent oral disease by helping patients reduce related risk factors.

Short for “Caries Management by Risk Assessment,” CAMBRA is an assessment tool used to identify patients’ oral health behaviors and pinpoint their oral health risks. While all GHIFDP patients receive an initial CAMBRA assessment, their participation in the full program is voluntary. Patients may choose to join once they have received their results and their individualized risk-reducing recommendations and treatment protocols.

For patients who join our pilot CAMBRA program, GHIFDP dentists and hygienists provide the following services:

• Private consultations about the patient’s medical status, diet, medications, and history of fluoride use and tooth decay
• Treatment recommendations, including frequency of exams, cleanings and radiographs
• Personalized recommendations for lowering the patient’s oral disease risk factors. These often focus on behavioral measures, such as changes to diet, brushing and flossing habits, or use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs.

In conjunction with this program, EmblemHealth and the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities hosted a statewide continuing education course on CAMBRA in late November 2010. GHIFDP is currently in discussions with the New York State Department of Health about assessing program results.

For more information on the CAMBRA program, please contact Gary Goldstein, DDS, MBA, Dental Director of GHIFDP, at 1-518-869-1881.