Improving Oral Health Care for People with Intellectual Disability Program
Build confidence delivering inclusive oral health care.
Many people with intellectual disability, autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions can be successfully cared for at their local dental practice with simple, practical adjustments.
The GROW team supports dental practices in the CESPHN region to strengthen capability in delivering inclusive preventative oral health care.
WHY PARTICIPATE?
- Build team confidence in supporting patients with disability and diverse needs
- Strengthen inclusive, preventative care within your practice
- Enhance patient experience and engagement
- Contribute to equitable access to oral health care across your community
about the Program
The Improving Oral Health Care for People with Intellectual Disability Program has been developed in collaboration with people with lived experience and oral health clinicians. It is available to practices located within these postcodes.
The program includes:
1. Two education sessions
Designed for the whole practice team, including administration staff, dental assistants and hygienists, oral health therapists and dentists.
Sessions focus on:
- Understanding intellectual disability and other developmental conditions with diverse support needs
- Recognising risk factors and barriers to accessing preventative oral health care
- Exploring practical strategies to support inclusive practice, including tools to promote emotional and physiological regulation and communication
- Identifying sources of clinical support and referral pathways for managing patients with complex needs
2. One Quality Improvement (QI) activity
- Practices are provided with an inclusive checklist to conduct a self-audit. The checklist supports practices to assess how inclusive they are and identify opportunities for improvement.
3. Sensory Regulation Toolkit
- Practices are invited to select sensory regulation items to support patients to feel calm, comfortable, and better able to engage in oral health care.
- CESPHN provides selected items, along with guidance to support their effective use within the clinical setting.
For more resources and tools to support oral health for people with diverse developmental and communication support needs visit the resources for oral health practitioners webpage.
Expressions of interest applications are now open
Contact
For more resources and tools to support inclusive oral health care, visit the resources for oral health practitioners webpage.
This program is a component of CESPHN’s Primary Care Enhancement Program, a Commonwealth initiative established to build the capacity of health care professionals to care for people with intellectual disability.
