White man with reddish hair and closely trimmed beard smiling happily.
Photo courtesy of Positive Exposures
Did you know that:
- People with I/DD have been more likely to not have had their teeth cleaned in the past five years, or never to have had their teeth cleaned, than those who are not disabled.
- According to a series of studies, 75% of dental students reported little to no preparation in providing care to people with I/DD.
- Requirements of the Commission on Dental Accreditation do not require that dental school graduates be proficient in treating patients with I/DD, they only require graduates be competent in “assessing” treatment needs.
These are just a few of the insights that The National Council on Disability(NCD) provided in a November 21 brief. The brief not only addressed the lack of dental care that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) experience, but also made recommendations about how to correct the problem.
The WITH Foundation applauds the NCD’s efforts to rectify current standards to make it more dental care more inclusive. Our mission is to promote comprehensive health care for adults with developmental disabilities that is designed to address their unique and fundamental needs. As such, we have provided grants to a number of organizations that:
- Provide training about the oral care of people with I/DD
- Provide dental services and screenings for people with disabilities
- Educate both Dental and Medical Providers in a conference setting about the unique oral care needs of people with disabilities.
Read more about these Grantees below:
Conferences and Education
American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry (AADMD)
WITH Foundation has provided funding for AADMD’s conferences that address the general lack of education of physicians, dentists and other healthcare professionals with respect to the care of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
AADMD annual conferences provide a forum in which national leaders in multiple clinical disciplines, researchers, students, and policymakers can come together to exchange ideas, learn best practices, forge working relationships and create new directions for the future of healthcare.
UCSF Office of Continuing Medical Education
The University of California, San Francisco Office of Continuing Medical Education offers educational opportunities for physicians, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, dentists, and allied health care professionals to improve their practices through a comprehensive selection of continuing education activities. WITH Foundation has provided grants to the Office of CME at UCSF to underwrite the costs of their annual conference titled, “Developmental Disabilities: An Update for Health Professionals.” This two day event provides the latest information on health issues affecting those with developmental disabilities.
Special Care Dentistry Association
The SCDA will assemble a group of experts in the care of special needs populations and postgraduate dental education to:
- Study existing postdoctoral programs that provide training in the care of patients with special needs
- Envision an exportable construct that would serve as the framework for a new category of dental residency training program,
- Create comprehensive educational standards for such programs
- Using the standards developed, request an accreditation review process by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (the recognized federal formal recognition process) be developed for this new category of postdoctoral general dentistry residency.
Funds were also provided for the sponsorship of the SCDA/iADH international educational meeting in Chicago in April, 2016.
Services
Community Dental Services Inc.
cdsabq.com
WITH provided funding for the collaboration of the University of New Mexico Dental Services (UNMDS) and Community Dental Services, Inc. (CDS) to develop telemedicine services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in New Mexico. The purpose of the collaboration was to provide necessary dental services to adults in the most appropriate setting by streamlining the process by which referrals to the UNMDS Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) are made.
A telemedicine program will be developed that will allow for adults with I/DD identified as needing care that is beyond the capacity of their dental home to be screened. Local dentists will engage in real time video conference communication with specialists at UNMDS to determine the best treatment options for each patient Screening will allow for a determination to be made regarding whether care should be provided at their dental home, UNMDS ASC for sedation dentistry, or to the main UNM Hospital Operating Center for general anesthesia.
JVS – Tri-County Dental Program
The collaborative project between JVS (through its Tri-County Dental Program), the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry (UDM) and Community Living Services, Inc. (CLS) creates a dental home at UDM for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and enhances the education of dental students. It gives dental students general and clinical experience with people who have special needs, and empowers patients with disabilities to guide student dentists as “co-teachers.” With increased exposure to this population, dental students’ confidence to treat them will grow. Ultimately, they will be encouraged to care for patients with I/DD in their future dental practices.
Special Care Dentistry Association
The Special Care Dentistry Association (SCDA) is an association of dentists and dental hygienists, caregivers, and supporters who are involved in the lives and care of patients with special needs. SCDA sponsors an annual, international dental educational conference every year. WITH Foundation provided funding to support internationally-recognized speakers for the organization’s keynote and other addresses in March, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Special Olympics, Inc. Rochester, NY
Replicating the successful Team Trainer pilot in NY, this program will bring Team Trainer to 5 new US states each year for 3 years (15 states total over the grant period) and will create the toolkit and resources necessary for sustainable, large-scale global replication. Team Trainer pairs a healthcare practitioner with a Special Olympics team for an athletic season to increase participation in Healthy Athletes which offers health examinations in 7 disciplines including Healthy Smiles. The Healthy Athletes program helps athletes with intellectual disabilities (ID) set and achieve wellness goals. The program also gives healthcare providers the opportunity to learn about and treat individuals with I/DD.
The mission of WITH Foundation is to promote the comprehensive healthcare for adults with developmental disabilities.
Learn about our history of grantmaking here.