Definition of Dental Home

Definition of Dental Home

The dental home is the ongoing relationship between the dentist and the patient, inclusive of all aspects of oral health care delivered in a comprehensive, continuously accessible, coordinated, and family-centered way. The dental home should be established no later than 12 months of age to help children and their families institute a lifetime of good oral health. A dental home addresses anticipatory guidance and preventive, acute, and comprehensive oral health care and includes referral to dental specialists when appropriate.

This definition was developed by the Council on Clinical Affairs and adopted in 2006. This document is an update of the previous version, revised in 2015.