Dental Assistants Create Healthier, Happier Patients®
At the Pacific Dental Services® (PDS®) Foundation Dentists for Special Needs clinic, dental assistants play a key role in providing much needed access to care for children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities. The nonprofit clinic in Phoenix, Arizona offers patients comprehensive oral health care, including crowns, fillings, hygiene, implants, root canals, oral surgery, and emergency care in a fully sensory integrated environment. In addition, the clinic, which was founded by the PDS Foundation, provides patients and their caregivers with education to help with their oral health between visits. Among the expert team of clinicians serving the community at PDS Foundation Dentists for Special Needs, specialty dental assistants are on the frontlines of patient care. Equipped with behavioral and environment techniques, as well as advanced clinical knowledge and a superior level of service, the specially trained dental assistants are tasked with establishing a connection and generating trust between patients with special needs and their care providers. They understand that caring for patients with disabilities takes not only special training, but also compassion, creativity, and innovation.
Meet Carlos Torres, a dental assistant who has served patients at PDS Foundation Dentists for Special Needs since it opened in March 2019. Torres shares why he wanted to work with the special needs community. “My brother has autism, and we always tried to create a normal life for our family by spending quality time together. However, it’s challenging when he acts out and everyone around us thinks it’s strange and stares at us,” says Torres, whose brother has never had a successful visit to the dentist. “He wouldn’t sit down. He would wiggle around and never wanted to cooperate,” Torres reveals. When he heard about the clinic, Torres immediately knew he wanted to work alongside other clinicians with the same dedication to the special needs community. Among the clinic’s founders are Jack Dillenberg, DDS, who serves as the Clinical Director, and Jacob Dent, DDS, a renowned dentist who has been practicing for more than 15 years. “As a parent of a child with special needs, I understand the stress and anxiety that comes with going to doctors’ visits,” says Dr. Dent. “It’s critical to establish trust between the dental team and the patients. This can only be accomplished with patience and understanding,” explains Dr. Dent, who inspires many of the team members at the clinic, including Torres. “If you are coached and mentored by someone who is knowledgeable and shares a passion for the special needs community, you, too, can be successful in this field and really make a difference,” expresses Torres.
Nationwide, more than 52 million people in the U.S. have special needs. Unfortunately, less than 10% of dentists treat patients with disabilities because of their lack of training and the patients’ divergent reactions to common dental procedures. For this reason, access to specialized care such as dentistry is among the main healthcare concerns for people with special needs. It is the PDS Foundation’s hope that this revolutionary clinic will move the needle in the right direct for the dental industry by inspiring others to provide access to care for those who need it most. The PDS Foundation Dentists for Special Needs clinic truly is the start of something special for patients and dental assistants alike. To learn more about dentistry in the special needs community, visit www.dentistsforspecialneeds.com.
Nationwide, more than 52 million people in the U.S. have special needs. Unfortunately, less than 10% of dentists treat patients with disabilities because of their lack of training and the patients’ divergent reactions to common dental procedures. For this reason, access to specialized care such as dentistry is among the main healthcare concerns for people with special needs.