Dental Care for Patients with Disabilities
Course #31913 - $30 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
The ability to maintain optimal oral health requires daily attention to oral hygiene and regular dental evaluations. The oral environment has a complex composition of microbial organisms and any alteration in this environment, from systemic illness, treatments, or poor oral hygiene, can result in short- and long-term oral effects. Even patients with ideal physical and mental health can be challenged in their pursuit of optimal oral health. Patients with complicated medical and/or mental health problems have a greater incidence of acute and chronic oral health problems because many are unable to perform the basic tasks necessary for fundamental oral hygiene. This is compounded by the fact that some systemic diseases and medications used in their treatment have a higher predilection for adverse oral effects. Immunosuppression, whether the result of diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) or pharmacologic induction via chemotherapy or immunosuppressive therapy, can allow resident oral microflora to achieve pathogenic status. This course will highlight the systemic diseases and mental health issues with direct and/or indirect influence on the oral and maxillofacial complex. Suggestions to improve oral hygiene and to facilitate dental appointments will also be included.
This course is designed for nurses, nurse practitioners, nursing home personnel, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and caregivers involved in assessing and promoting optimum oral care for special needs patients.
The purpose of this course is to focus awareness upon the difficult oral health issues that patients with disabilities face on a daily basis and to provide healthcare professionals with the necessary information to improve patients' oral and systemic health.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Outline the chronic oral health issues caused by Sjögren syndrome.
- Describe the oral health issues associated with the systemic and discoid forms of lupus erythematosus.
- Discuss the diverse variety of opportunistic oral infections that occur in patients with
- Outline how immunosuppression for patients with organ and bone marrow transplants and from chemotherapy affects short-term and long-term oral health care.
- Review oral health considerations for patients with Parkinson disease, cerebral palsy, and spinal cord injuries, and describe treatment modifications for home care and in-office dental care.
- Identify the varying degrees of physical impairment experienced by stroke victims and techniques that allow them to maintain oral hygiene.
- Describe the special oral health issues encountered by cognitively impaired patients, particularly those with Down syndrome or Alzheimer disease.
Mark J. Szarejko, DDS, FAGD, received his dental degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1985. He received fellowship from the Academy of General Dentistry in 1994.
Contributing faculty, Mark J. Szarejko, DDS, FAGD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Jane C. Norman, RN, MSN, CNE, PhD
The division planner has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.