Daily homecare is critical - it prevents disease and adds to the quality of life

What if someone else brushed your teeth for you? That would place your oral health care totally out of your control. Many of our patients are in this group.

The challenge of the Dental Department is to achieve the highest quality of oral health for each person residing at the Center. To achieve this we work within the interdisciplinary team process. Not only are we responsible for all dental treatment provided, we are involved in training direct care staff, assessing daily dental care, consulting with Dietary and Dysphagia teams, working with Advocacy on issues of sedation and restraints and communicating to family and guardians the dental health status and treatment needs of consumers. Regular meetings with the medical staff, pharmacy staff and other team members assures that dental care is individually tailored to each resident's needs.

Treatment delivered must be appropriate to meet each person's ability to benefit from and tolerate the treatment process. We offer comprehensive services to each individual. These services extend past the dental clinic to address special home care needs including allergies to toothpaste, gingival inflammation, halitosis, bruxism, mouthing habits, etc. Each consumer has regular exams, cleanings, and treatment scheduled to meet their specific needs.

The dental facility at the Center has undergone a complete renovation. We have a very modern, up-to-date clinic that allows us to meet OSHA, CDC and ADA guidelines. There are four treatment rooms (one is set up for non-ambulatory patients to be treated directly in their wheelchairs). This allows maximum comfort and minimizes stress during treatment for the patient

The complexity of providing dental care to this population can be tremendous, but the benefits are worth it.