For most, a routine dental visit is just that: routine. But for some adults with physical, mental or developmental disabilities, routine visits can be more of a challenge. That’s why four St. Louis institutions are coming together to help make dental visits more accessible.
Affinia HealthCare, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine and AT Still University are coming together to create more accessible care for people with disabilities.
Dr. Paul Bigg, a dentist and professor at AT Still University’s school of dentistry, explained why some disabled people might have more difficulty at the dentist.
“It's very hard to sometimes treat these patients in a normal routine dental setting,” he explained. “They have issues with keeping their mouth open, they have a severe fear of dentistry, and so their access to care can be limited because not a lot of providers feel comfortable with treating this certain population.”
So what can BJC, WashU, AT Still and Affinia do to help? One thing is provide general anesthesia. Dr. Bigg said there are scattered practices and clinics that provide that option, but it was something that he and fellow dentists wanted in St. Louis.
“We really saw the need for these patients to get the care that otherwise would be very difficult to access,” he said.
The joint effort also helps people find a dentist they can return to again and again.
“It's something that they struggle with, I think, that continuity of care. Once they find that release, they go there, they bring their whole family because everyone's really excited to see that they can get this care,” Dr. Bigg said. “So continuity is hard to get initially, but once they find it they’re loyal, they're the sweetest patients and I have to say, if you find someone who comes in your clinic with a disability or has extra needs and you are able to help take care of them, that’s amazing.”
Hear more from Dr. Paul Bigg on how he and other organizations in the area are helping disabled adults get the dental care they need:
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