Dental News - NYU College of Dentistry opens oral healthcare facility for people with disabilities

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 19. February 2019

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NEW YORK, U.S.: Within dentistry, offering tailored oral healthcare to individuals with physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities is an ongoing topic. In a positive step toward a more comprehensive service, the New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry has recently opened an oral health center for people with disabilities.

The NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities was designed to meet the unique and diverse needs of people with a range of disabilities. It features nine patient treatment rooms, as well as two fully equipped sedation suites to provide both inhaled and intravenous sedation administered under the supervision of anesthesiologists.

“The NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities addresses a major public health challenge by providing comprehensive, compassionate dental care for people with a full range of disabilities who experience significant barriers to accessing care,” said Dr. Charles N. Bertolami, the Herman Robert Fox Dean of the NYU College of Dentistry. “Equally important, care at the center is ongoing. By providing dental care across each patient’s lifespan, the center aims to break the vicious cycle of neglect and repeated hospitalization.”

The center has two fully equipped sedation suites to provide both inhaled and intravenous sedation administered under the supervision of anesthesiologists. (Photograph: NYC of Dentistry)

The 8,000-square-foot center, located in the NYU College of Dentistry’s Weissman Building, provides much-needed comprehensive care for patients whose disabilities or medical conditions prevent them from receiving care in a conventional dental setting. According to the NYU College of Dentistry, an estimated 950,000 people in New York alone, a city of 8.5 million, have some form of disability, including 99,000 who use wheelchairs.

With research showing that people with disabilities have worse oral health than the general population and are less likely to have access to dental care services, the new center is a positive step in addressing the issue. “Numerous studies have shown generally poor access to vital health services for both children and adults with disabilities,” said Marco Damiani, CEO of AHRC New York City, one of the largest nonprofits supporting people with disabilities in New York State. “The NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities will promote greatly improved access, but it exceeds basic expectations by enabling access to a welcoming state-of-the-art facility, dental treatment services from highly experienced and engaged faculty, and a service vision that underscores dignity, respect, and coordination of care.”

The center was completed through a US$12 million renovation. (Photograph: NYC of Dentistry)

In planning for the facility, the NYU College of Dentistry collaborated with a number of healthcare and advocacy groups that provide general healthcare and support for people with disabilities, including Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State, Metro Community Health Centers, the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone, the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, NYU Langone Health and the Viscardi Center. In addition, focus groups of people with disabilities were conducted in cooperation with the NYU Ability Project, a collaboration of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering; the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development; and the NYU Tisch School of the Arts.