If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Before implementing the WDPP, a community needs to know the prevalence and impact of dental pain on a community or individual hospital level. Collecting this baseline data also establishes the baseline for monitoring and evaluating the impacts of the WDPP.

Change requires leadership and every community has leaders. Identifying which organizations and individuals will bring people together, create a plan of action, and monitor outcomes is an indispensable first step to implementation. Leaders help others lead.

If we don’t address the cause of the pain and infection, the patient will be back and in pain again. Every community and health system has people and processes to help patients find care. Without this final step, pain and infection are prolonged, not cured.

Addressing dental pain and infection is low-hanging fruit. Clinical staff should agree to and utilize the best information in treating dental pain and infection, and assure their clinic has the resources and processes in place to make treatment second nature.

Clinical, systems, and community leaders need to see that their work has impact. Creating manageable ways to monitor and evaluate outcomes assures quality improvement and celebration of success. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

The clinical algorithm is agreed upon and ED staff have been trained, local dental providers are willing to participate, a referral mechanism is in place, and all are in agreement as to a date to begin. Bringing partners together annually to review processes is vital to maintain the program.