Dental Care for Special Needs Patients
Marshfield News Herald
Healthy Lifestyle Page – Article Submission
Dental Clinic of Marshfield, S.C. — June 2011
Are you, or a family member, one of the nearly 50 million Americans with a disability? If the answer is yes, regular dental care is especially important to avoid the serious dental problems that often are associated with disabilities.
For people with disabilities and individuals with severe medical conditions, regular dental care is vital to health and function. Dental neglect can have serious consequences, including increased costs and risks associated with hospitalization, and unnecessary pain and discomfort. A healthy mouth can contribute to overall physical health and a person’s sense of wellbeing.
If you have a disability, you may have had a hard time finding a dentist— particularly one skilled in caring for patients with complex medical and oral problems. People with disabilities frequently have serious dental problems and have difficulty in acquiring dental services. At the Dental Clinic of Marshfield, we have experience in treating patients who have severe developmental disabilities that include Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and Autism, as well as more extensive disabilities such as spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, Multiple Sclerosis, and psychiatric disorders.
As a parent, family member, or caregiver of a person with disabilities, you know that it is vitally important to find the right dentist. Patients with severe disabilities often need care beyond that which is provided by a general dentist who may be untrained in anesthesia for special needs patients. I have expertise in treating patients such as those mentioned above as well as patients with Alzheimer and Parkinson’s. These diseases, as well as other physical and developmental disabilities, require an extremely high level of skill, expertise, and state-of-the-art equipment. Genuine compassion for the individual is what our entire special needs dental care team takes pride in providing.
Our team understands the challenges of treating the mouth, teeth and gums of someone who no longer is capable of maintaining good oral hygiene. The disabilities these types of patients are afflicted with often interfere with their maintenance of daily dental care. Brushing is sometimes difficult due to the individual's inability to understand and/or accept assistance from others. For these reasons, these types of patients often need more frequent professional cleanings, and additional annual dental visits to prevent decay that might lead to tooth loss.
As the population ages, there is a greater responsibility for dental professionals to maintain the oral health of medically, behaviorally, cognitively, and physically impaired adults. I can administer oral and or intravenous sedatives and nitrous oxide analgesia frequently and successfully for dental treatment in most of these patients. However, some compromised older adults may not safely tolerate dental treatment with these sedative techniques in a typical “office” setting. Therefore the use of general anesthesia in a surgical suite environment, coordinated with medical and anesthesia specialists is a viable, safe, and effective treatment option for providing comprehensive dental and oral surgical treatment for the older patient. Necessary dental treatments are carried out and often can be completed in just one visit. For the severely disabled patient this is the safest way for their dental care to be performed and much less traumatic.
Dr. Dennis Godar, D.M.D. is a General Dentist certified in Sedation Dentistry practicing at the Dental Clinic of Marshfield. For more information or questions about dentistry for disabled patients, or to schedule an appointment, contact Dental Clinic of Marshfield.
