Multidisciplinary team in HOF: how to work together

Orofacial harmonization is rarely the work of a single professional across the entire course of care. At some point, the patient needs a dentist to assess occlusion, a dermatologist to treat the skin, an ophthalmologist for an eye complaint, a nutritionist for weight gain or loss, a psychologist for a body image issue. A well-organized multidisciplinary team makes that path safer and more pleasant.

This page gathers good practices, at a review level. It does not replace legal advice or the rules of the professional councils, which vary and may change.

Why work as a team?

The face is a territory where several fields meet, and none of them masters all. A team offers:

• More safety: someone with experience in emergencies, skin, or mental health can complement the care.
• A more complete diagnosis: an aesthetic concern may have a functional, dental, or systemic cause.
• Continuity of care: the patient is not left alone when the case falls outside the scope of the person treating them.
• Better communication with the patient: the team speaks the same language and conveys confidence.
• Technical quality: exchanging experience improves decisions.

But a team also brings risks: confusion over responsibility, lost information, conflicting approaches, and communication noise. That is why organization is part of the work.

Who can be on the team?

The makeup depends on the service. The list below is an example and does not define who may do what, which depends on the rules of each category's professional council.

The list of professionals authorized for each act is a regulatory matter, with disputes between councils. Always confirm the rules of your council. A starting point is in HOF regulation at the CFO, facial harmonization and the CFM and facial harmonization in biomedicine. In Brazil, the CFO is the federal dentistry council, the CFM the medical council, and the CFBM the biomedicine council.

Roles and responsibilities

The more professionals involved, the more important it is to say who does what. A simple design is usually enough.

Without these definitions, responsibility gets diluted. In case of a complication, whoever knows what they did and recorded it is in a safer position. See also civil liability for the concept.

Communication and patient record

Communication is the most fragile point of teams. What one professional knows does not always reach the other. Some practices help.

1. A single patient record. A shared record, with a standard, prevents lost information. See patient records and documentation in HOF.
2. Case meeting. For complex patients, a short conversation among the professionals aligns the plan.
3. A defined channel. A message group or a dedicated system, with usage rules and care for sensitive data.
4. Common language. Standardized terms and scales reduce noise.
5. Record of decisions. Note who decided what and why.

Consent and confidentiality

The patient must know who will treat them, what each person does, and with whom the data will be shared. Informed consent must reflect this. Professional confidentiality applies to the entire team, including assistants and the front desk, and the LGPD requires purpose, necessity, and security in the handling of data.

Ethics and commercial relationships

Relationships between professionals involve delicate ethical aspects. A few points deserve attention:

• Referral for financial interest may violate the rules. See patient referral in HOF.
• Anyone not authorized for a given act should not perform it, even under informal supervision, unless the rules allow it.
• Advertising the team and results follows the council's advertising rules. See what you can advertise: CFO and CONAR.
• Contracts between professionals should be written, clear, and preferably reviewed by a lawyer.

How the team handles complications

A team gains value when it comes to complications. The ideal is to have a defined flow before it is needed.

Emergency drills, as in emergency drill for the team, make this flow more natural. For supplies, see emergency kit for the HOF office.

What changes in the patient journey

A patient treated by a team goes through a longer journey, with more people, more touchpoints, and more chances for noise. Caring for that journey means explaining the path, anticipating the steps, and keeping the reference professional present.

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Communicating with the patient about who does what

The patient should clearly understand each person's role. When the same act is performed by different professionals at different times, they may become confused about who is responsible. Use a name, a role, and a contact for each team member.

Also explain the flow: who does the assessment, who performs the procedure, who follows up, and whom to turn to if there is a problem. Provide this information in writing, in simple terms, along with the post-procedure instructions. Transparent communication reduces misunderstandings and strengthens trust in the team.

In summary

A good multidisciplinary team in HOF depends on clear roles, organized communication, a shared patient record, consent, and ethics in relationships. When it works, it increases safety and quality of care. When it fails, it becomes confusion over responsibility. That is why it is worth investing in structure before the first complex case arises.