Dental Care for People with Disabilities

Dental care for people with physical or intellectual disabilities can be challenging. Many people who suffer from a disability find it prohibitively difficult to develop or apply everyday skills such as regular brushing and flossing. This explains why people with disabilities are more likely to develop caries, gingivitis and other periodontal diseases compared to the rest of the population. As a result, they require extra care to maintain good oral health, including carers assisting with daily dental routines and accompanying them to dental clinics. This blog post contains additional information about how East Bentleigh Dental Group can accommodate patients with disabilities who require professional dental care.

Challenges

Patients with disabilities present a plethora of mental, behavioural and physical challenges that need to be overcome to ensure they receive sufficient dental care. Some of these include:

• Mental Challenges – We endeavour to listen to patients and communicate with them as clearly as possible on a level they can understand. This includes using and repeating simple instructions as well as responding to gestures and nonverbal requests. We also address patients directly to build a rapport.
• Behavioural Challenges – A dental clinic can be a stressful place for most people, let alone people with disabilities. We use a friendly and caring approach to reduce fear and improve comfort as well as minimise uncooperative behaviour such as crying and kicking. We also aim to keep appointments short and allow carers to accompany the patient.

We can also provide assistance for patients with specific issues, such as:

• Cerebral Palsy – We aim to make our patients feel as physically comfortable as possible to minimise involuntary movements. In serious cases, we can also prescribe muscle relaxants and general anaesthesia.
• Visual Impairments – We can assist patients to move through our clinic safely. Our goal is to minimise their stress levels and make them feel comfortable by using clear language and friendly handshakes.
• Hearing Difficulties – We can accommodate patients with hearing difficulties by maintaining eye contact, eliminating background noises, and speaking with a clear voice.

Contact EBDG Today

When it comes to dental care for people with disabilities, you can trust the dentists at East Bentleigh Dental Group to provide friendly professional assistance. Contact us today to learn more or make an appointment.