[Sophie]

In the June session “Evidence-Based Techniques for Oral Health Behavior and Oral Health Promotion for People with Developmental Disabilities,” I learned a lot of useful techniques and best practices for making the experience of patients with special health care needs as great as possible during dental visits. Learning about these tools, such as motivational interviewing, helped me feel more confident in my ability to care for patients with special needs as a future dentist.

In the “Diagnosis, Preventive, and Restorative Treatment in the Traditional Dental Clinic for patients with Special Health Care Needs” session, I learned how even small changes and accommodations can help make patients with special health care needs more comfortable during dental visits. These concrete suggestions, such as providing sunglasses and noise cancelling headphones or support pillows or cradling their head, are simple and effective ways to help make visits better.

In the “Geriatric Dentistry for People with Developmental Disabilities” session, I learned how crucial it is to coordinate interprofessionally, especially for geriatric patients. For example, working with the patient’s primary care physician when the patient has systemic underlying conditions is imperative.

[Author]

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