#Expert Conversations
WITH is pleased to present Expert Conversations, an ongoing series that will feature conversations with experts in the fields of healthcare, disability, digital health, and philanthropy.
Today’s Expert Conversation is with Paul Glassman, DDS, MA, MBA.
Dr. Glassman is the Director for the Pacific Center for Special Care at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. He serves as the dental school’s director of community oral health and is a professor in the Department of Dental Practice. He is a nationally recognized expert in oral health care for people with developmental disabilities and complex medical conditions and other vulnerable populations.
I asked Dr. Glassman a few questions about Dental Care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities:
Image description: Smiling man with salt and pepper hair and beard wearing a dark jacket, white shirt, and tie.
How do you help your patients overcome the fear of going to the dentist?
A program of systematic desensitization– getting someone gradually used to someone looking in and doing things in their mouth is really an important first step. This can be accomplished to a great degree by parents or caregivers who can “practice” with plastic mirrors and lights and do a lot to prepare for a dental professional. Having a dental professional like a dental hygienist performing easy services in the home, day care program or other familiar settings can also help.
Is there a system in place to ensure that individuals with developmental disabilities get the dental care they need?
Getting dental care for people with a disability can be very challenging for parents and caregivers. I think it is fair to say that there are not good, widely available systems to address this situation. We have a number of initiatives we have spearheaded or are currently demonstrating that can make a difference. These center around integrating oral health into the activities of agencies and organizations that provide social, residential, and medical services for people with disabilities and providing preventive care in community sites where people are more comfortable receiving dental services.
What is your greatest challenge as a dentist caring for individuals with developmental disabilities?
The challenges fall into a number of categories. Individual challenges include engaging caregivers in daily mouth care activities, behavioral challenges in actually providing care, and funding challenges given our traditional payment systems’ focus on paying for procedures vs. paying for general health issues. There are also organizational challenges in enlisting organizations to pay attention to dental health as an important value in what they do.
What are some of the recent innovations in dental care and treatment, and how will they benefit people with I/DD?
A major development which I discussed at the UCSF Developmental Disabilities Conference is the idea of using telehealth-connected teams to reach people in community locations such as residential facilities, day programs, community centers, and deliver prevention and early intervention services using allied personnel connected to dentists using telehealth technologies. We have developed such a system which we call the Virtual Dental Home and tested it extensively in California and now other states.
Are DentiCal providers trained to treat people with I/DD?
One of the barriers to people with ID/DD is the lack of adequate training among dental professionals. We have been offering courses and training for years but actually reach a small number of people who need training.
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- Read our conversation with Susan Mizner of the ACLU
The mission of WITH Foundation is to promote comprehensive and accessible healthcare for adults with developmental disabilities.