For people with disabilities, the magnitude and severity of oral health problems frequently are worse than the general population. They tend to have more untreated dental disease, a higher incidence of gum disease and more problems accessing dental care. Barriers to improved care are complex, and include limited providers, a maze of eligibility criteria for different public and private systems, lack of a central referral point, legal and financial issues, transportation, language and cultural issues, and lack of perceived need and training in oral hygiene. The prevalent disconnect between oral and systemic health, medical and dental providers, dental and special needs organizations, public and private funding sources, all increase the complexity of the problem. The Anderson Center for Dental Care of Children's Hospital and Health Center was established to improve oral health outcomes -- particularly for those with disabilities -- through improved access to care, professional and community education, advocacy and treatment. The Center has: 1)Implemented a countywide oral health assessment tool; 2)Established a 40-member Regionwide Task Force on Oral Health for People with Disabilities to improve access, education and reimbursement; 3)Successfully advocated for health plan reimbursement reform at the state level; 4)Developed and implemented oral hygiene/dental disease prevention training programs, oral health conferences for physicians and medical professionals, and health promotion projects reaching more than 20,000 people.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to: 1) Identify 3 major disparities in oral health among people with special needs compared to the typical population in the U.S.; 2) Articulate 6 leading barriers to improved oral health care; 3) Describe effective models for: a)assessing critical and emerging community oral health issues for the target population; b)developing a regionwide collaborative to improve oral health outcomes among individuals with special needs; and c)planning, developing and implementing effective dental disease prevention programs for special education staff, parents, foster parents and caregivers; and 4) Recognize opportunities to link oral health with existing medical, hospital, agency and school-based programs and services
Keywords: Access and Services, Children With Special Needs
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Anderson Center for Dental Care
Children's Hospital and Health Center
San Diego, California
(and selected collaborators)
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.