Their story is invariably the same. Either dentists are uninterested or frightened, to offer even the basic care which they loudly insist that the rest of the population needs at regular intervals, or other people who organise their care do not see going to the dentist, and insisting on proper service from that dentist, as a priority. For healthy reasons, and equally for cosmetic reasons, dental care is just as important for disabled people as for anyone else. Indeed i may more important for many. I think I would have immense problems if I ever hado use dentures for example.
Education is required.
Training in the Social model of disability, delivered by disabled trainers themselves should be part of the programme of every course in dentistry. Onlywhen dentists and their staff, start seeing disabled people as people with the same needs as everyone else, and not just as patients which may present special difficulties, will disabled people start to receive the service which they deserve, and which is their right. Words fail me. Veronica Goddard, Director of the Speech and Language Therapy Agency, Sheffield. Many people experience feelings of anxiety when going to the dentist, for patients with communication problems these feelings may be heightened.