Dental care is important for good dental health because it impacts overall body health. Dental care is more important in individuals with disabilities because they face difficulties in maintaining oral hygiene due to physical challenges, increased medication intake, and systemic problems that can cause severe dental problems. Disabled People organizations help special people maintain good oral health by arranging routine dental check-ups and easily accessible dental services with a registered dentist to avoid dental problems with dental prevention treatment.
Why Dental Care is Important for the Individuals with Disabilities?
Individuals with disabilities require special dental care because of the following reasons:
High Risk of Dental Problems
Individuals with disabilities are at high risk of dental problems due to improper oral hygiene maintenance and other systemic problems. Dental problems such as tooth decay, gum problems, gum infection, and bone resorption are common dental problems in individuals with disabilities.
System Health Issues
Disabled people have complex health issues that affect oral health such as hormonal problems, diabetesA chronic condition where the body cannot produce or properly use insulin, leading to high blood sug... can cause gum problems and bone resorption. Medications also affect oral health in disabled individuals by affecting salivary flow and causing dental decay. Dental problems can affect system health such as heart issues.
Behavioral and Congenial Issues
Behavior and congenital disability can develop dental treatment anxiety and delay in dental treatment leads to severe dental problems.
Communication Problems
Disabled people sometimes have difficulty communicating with dentists, strain in locating the pain, and improper response to the diagnostic test, Emergency dentists with special training can resolve their dental problems.
Difficulty in Maintaining Daily Oral Hygiene
Disability with physical challenges makes it difficult to maintain oral hygiene properly. Improper oral hygiene accumulates food and causes dental problems. Parents and caregivers can assist them in maintaining good oral hygiene.
Specialist Dental Treatment Needs
Special dental techniques are required to perform dental treatment in disabled persons. In dental treatment anxiety and difficulty in wide mouth opening, a dentist with special training can manage these issues with special sedation techniques according to the patient's systemic health.
What are Preventive Measures that Can Help Individuals with Disabilities to Avoid Dental Problems?
The risk of dental problems is higher in people with disabilities but with proper dental care, and preventive measures dental problems can be controlled in special people. Dentists with caregivers can maintain good oral health. some preventive measures are:
Regular Dental Visits
For monitoring oral health and identifying dental problems at the initial stage in disabled individuals regular dental visits play an important role. The dentist carefully evaluates oral health, applies sealant on the biting surface of teeth, and performs fluoride treatment to prevent dental cavities. Disabled organisations help arrange regular dental checkups for people with special dental needs.
Oral Hygiene Maintenance
Patients with disabilities face problems in maintaining dental hygiene, Dentists recommend special cleaning tools according to individual dental needs such as electric toothbrushes, fluoride toothpaste easy-grip toothbrushes, and floss to make it easy and comfortable for maintaining good oral hygiene.
Dietary Restrictions
Dentists advise special people to avoid surgery and an acidic diet to control dental decay and take a balanced diet for healthy gums, bone, and soft tissue.
Dry Mouth Management
People with disabilities use different medications that cause dry mouth as a side effect. Reduced salivary flow can cause various dental problems. Dentists prescribed salivary substitute supplements and chewing sugar-free gums to reduce mouth dryness.
Behavior Impairment Management
People with behavioral impairmentA loss or abnormality of a body structure or function, whether physical, mental, or sensory, often a... disabilities may encounter the problem of anxiety during dental regular check-ups, especially with dental instruments, and sound. Preparing the patients before dental visits and friendly interactive sessions with the dentist and dental staff play important roles in anxiety management. Dentists also used positive reinforcement and reward techniques to improve patient’s cooperation and comfort during dental treatment.
Caregiver Education
Caregiver support is important for preventing dental problems in people with disabilities, especially in the case of sensory or motor function impairment. Dentists properly educate caregivers about the importance of hygiene maintenance, daily brushing two times with proper technique, flossing after every meal, low sugar diet intake, maintaining regular dental check-ups and in case of cavities, pain, and swelling consulting with a dentist.
Other Professional Support
Sometimes patients with behavioral impairment disabilities are referred to a therapist for consultation before dental treatment. Professional therapists counsel patients about dental care that improves patient comfort and cooperation during dental visits.
Preventive Treatment
Dentists perform preventive dental treatment in patients with a high risk of dental problems. Disabled people commonly develop cavities on the posterior teeth due to difficulty in access for proper cleaning, dentist apply pit and fissure sealant to prevent tooth decay. Flouride varnish is also applied on the tooth surface to control dental decay.
What is the role of disabled people organisations in maintaining good dental in individuals with disabilities?
Disabled people organisations along with dental professionals can provide better dental care. They educate and train caregivers and individuals about dental care, organized regular dental checkups, and easy access to dental services to improve dental care for disabled people.
Dental Care Education and Awareness
Disabled people organisations can provide dental care education and training by organising workshops and raising awareness about the importance of dental hygiene maintenance in people with special needsA term used to describe individuals who require additional support due to physical, learning, or emo....
Access to Specialist Dental Care
Dental treatment and regular dental checkups are not easy for people with mobility challenges. Disable people organizations with dental professionals arrange mobile dental services for providing regular dental check-ups and preventive treatment to people with special dental needs.
Community Outreach Program
Disabled people organisations arrange free regular dental checkups in community centres, schools, and residential areas to target people with special dental needs and provide awareness about dental care.
Collaboration with Dental Professionals for Dentist Training
Disable people organisations can play an important role through funding in dentist training programs to treat people with disabilities.
Advocacy for Better Dental Care Services
Disabled people organisations can grab the attention of policymakers by providing easily accessible and affordable dental care services to resolve disabled people's challenge in maintaining good dental health.
Conclusion
Dental care is important in people with disabilities to prevent complex dental problems. Dentists provide preventive dental treatment and educate caregivers and individuals to maintain good oral hygiene. Disabled people organizations and dental professional
