Providing services
since 1957, the Dental Medicine Service is a model program for the treatment of patients
who present the most challenging dental cases, and the
training of professionals who seek to help them. The service provides a full scope of dental services to
individuals with physical, developmental, and psychiatric
disabilities.
Due to their medical condition,
the patients usually have special needs when it comes
to dental care. For instance, they may have intractable
seizures or be unable to transfer from a wheelchair
to a standard dental chair. These challenges may have
discouraged them from receiving the dental care they
need. The service treats approximately 4,000 patients
each year, including individuals who live in 150 group
homes from throughout a wide geographic area.
Treatment
Staff
The staff interacts closely with the patient's family
and caretakers. Because in many cases they need to overcome
past negative experiences the patient has encountered,
the staff takes the time to explain in detail what services
will be performed and how they will be delivered.
The
staff is comprised of a dedicated team, including dentists,
residents, hygienists and assistants, who treat adults
and children. The professional staff hold academic appointments
at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.
Because the service limits its practice to serving individuals
with disabilities, its members excel in evaluating the
patient's physical and mental capabilities, as well as
any limitations, and in developing an appropriate treatment
plan.
Specialized
Facilities
To accommodate the service's
patients, two new treatment rooms were recently added,
along with new equipment and furnishings. The expansion
has enabled the Dental Medicine Service to quickly
accommodate emergencies and make timely patient appointments.
The service has a procedure suite dedicated solely to
the practice of comprehensive dental treatment via general
anesthesia. Physicians and other dentists regularly
refer their most challenging cases to us.
A unique aspect of the program
is the access the patient and family have to other hospital
services. Because the Dental Medicine Service
is located within the region's most comprehensive physical
rehabilitation hospital, other services, including physical
and occupational therapy, gynecology, ophthalmology,
X-ray or laboratory services, are readily available at
the same location. This obviates the need to make additional
appointments at varying sites, which can be burdensome
for this patient population.
Our Services
The Service is well equipped to provide
everything from a cleaning to complex surgical procedures.
A doctor is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Educational Opportunities
Complimenting the provision of patient
care is the other half of the department's mission:
serving as a training center for professionals. Since
1987, the department has provided a residency program
for two dentists who want to obtain the specialized
skills required to work with special populations. These
individuals have gone on to practice at major medical
centers - such as Childrens National Medical Center
in Washington, DC, Waterbury Hospital and Yale-New Haven Medical Center in Connecticut,
Children's Hospital in Boston, University of Alabama, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey,
Marquette University and Saint Joseph's Hospital and
Medical Center in New Jersey - entered private practice,
and have established unique services, such as the Special
Patient Care and HIV Clinic at Albany Medical Center.
Our graduates have been accepted into post-graduate
programs at Harvard University, University of Michigan,
New York University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center,
Cleveland MetroHealth Center, St. Barnabas Hospital and Columbia University.
|
