Dental fear in a special needs clinic population of persons with disabilities

Survey on the attitudes and perceptions of Swiss dental practitioners and dental students toward treating patients with disabilities and sensory impairments

AIMS

This study evaluated the attitudes and perceptions of private dental practitioners (PPs) and students on treating patients with disabilities and sensory impairments.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A multifaceted questionnaire was used to assess the participants' attitudes on providing care to persons with disabilities and sensory impairments [visual (VI) and hearing (HI)]. The survey evaluated different aspects of the participants' attitudes that included integrity, altruism, perceived barriers, and theory of planned behavior (TPB). One hundred twenty participants [students: n = 73, practitioners (PP): n = 47), with a mean-age of 27.7 ± 5.3 years, completed the survey (response rate: 100%). Fourth-year students scored better than the PP in integrity (p = .019). For altruism, the students scored better than PPs (vs. fourth-year: p = .009, vs. fifth-year: p = .031). There were no differences between the participant groups for the overall assessments of the TPB (p = .213), VI (p = .863), and HI (p = .261).

CONCLUSION

Dental practitioners and students revealed a positive attitude, with few barriers, towards treating individuals with disabilities/sensory impairments and considered the training in the field of special care dentistry as a necessary part of the dental education. Furthermore, a demand for an increase in the hands-on practical experience in treating individuals with disabilities/sensory impairments during the undergraduate study curriculum was identified.

The Multisensory/Snoezelen Environment to Optimize the Dental Care Patient Experience

This article provides a brief overview of how the environment can affect behavior and that well-designed spaces can affect how patients handle stress. The application of the Snoezelen multisensory interactive calming strategies and devices that were installed in all facets of a community dental practice are described. These principles of creating a calming dental home improved behavior, cooperation, and satisfaction with care in persons with disabilities and reduced the need for sedation or general anesthesia. It is proposed that the creation of similar clinics with multisensory calming features could improve community access to dental care for persons with special needs.

Optical Coherence Tomography for Patients with Developmental Disabilities: A Preliminary Study

Dental radiographs are essential for diagnosis and treatment planning, but are sometimes difficult to acquire for patients with developmental disabilities (PDD). Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a non-ionizing imaging modality that has the potential application as an alternative to dental radiographs for PDD. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of intraoral OCT imaging for PDD. Ten participants were recruited in the Dental Education in the Care of Persons with Disabilities (DECOD) Clinic to explore the utility of dental OCT. The prototype system (Yoshida Dental) creates in-depth and three-dimensional images of teeth. The participants indicated their degree of pain during imaging on the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale, and the degree of discomfort after imaging on a visual analog scale. OCT can be used for patients with developmental disabilities with minimal levels of pain and discomfort, without ionizing radiation.

Giving low priority to oral health care. Voices from people with disabilities in a grounded theory study

OBJECTIVE

Our knowledge of how people with disabilities look upon oral health and dental care is limited. The aim of this study was thus to explore how the people with disabilities experience the encounter with dental health care.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

With a focus on dental care and oral health, qualitative interviews with 16 informants with cognitive and/or physical disabilities were analysed in accordance with the qualitative method of grounded theory.

RESULTS

A core category identified and labeled "giving low priority to oral health care" was found to be related to four other categories: "being afraid of losing control", "having difficulties complying with instructions", "having a desire for continuity", and "wishing to be just like everyone else". The results show that oral health and dental care are important, but are not considered a priority by the people with disabilities. General health issues have much higher priority but do not include oral health, which consequently can affect oral health negatively.

CONCLUSIONS

Of several factors identified that could be improved to make dental visits more pleasant for patients are enhancing a sense of control in the patient and improving continuity.