The medical team at Savasta's office is ready to appropriately accommodate all types of patients and to handle any type of situation in the best possible way to ensure as many people as possible get the care they need.
In addition to the usual professionalism and experience, in the case of disability therapies one must combine tact, flexibility, patience and other qualities.
The reception of the disabled patient
As you can easily imagine, the job becomes especially complicated for a dentist when he or she is treating a patient who is unable to cooperate.
That is why it is important for the practice to be able to handle all kinds of situations, following protocols created specifically for such cases: attention begins even before the patient enters the clinic.
In fact, access to the practice must be barrier-free, so that even those with mobility impairments can gain access. Once inside, it is necessary to try to make the patient comfortable, even those who may cause the most problems.
And from this point of view, the aspects that need to be taken care of are really many. First of all, the office must be a safe and relaxing environment for those who enter it; this means that there must be nothing that would bring to mind that very wrong view of the dental office as a place of torture or suffering.
Attention should also be paid to the smells and noises perceived by patients: the smell of disinfectant should not be heard and, of course, neither should the noise of the drill or the voices of the patients who are under the knife at that moment.
The visit and therapies for people with disabilities
The staff must be prepared to handle all kinds of situations: depending on the case, the right approach must be followed so that the patient is put at ease.
This must also apply when you get to the dentist's chair. It is necessary to make sure that the patient relaxes, perhaps by offering distractions that allow him or her to shift their attention away from the dentist's visit and work.
Of course, if the patient is very frightened, has a pronounced sensitivity to pain, or is not easy to handle , the dentist will opt for sedation so that he or she can intervene more calmly-
The choice of disability therapies is made taking into account several factors. If possible, short therapies are opted for, allowing the patient to be in the chair for the shortest possible time; likewise, an attempt is made (always where possible), to adopt the least invasive and most discreet therapies.
In these respects, technological advancement has enabled important steps forward. Finally, considering the fact that some patients may have motor difficulties and struggle to take care of their oral health independently, therapies for people with disabilities are highly individualized.
Care givers' involvement and the importance of follow-up visits
In most cases, the care givers of the person with a disability are involved: the professionals at Dr. Savasta's clinic make sure to explain what they can do to help the patient maintain proper home oral hygiene and by providing instructions on what to do to prevent further problems from arising.
Unfortunately, people suffering from some disability usually tend to neglect oral health, turning to the dentist only when problems have reached a certain severity.
This is understandable because moving and visiting might pose practical difficulties, but it is still wrong behavior.
It is always important to monitor the health of teeth and gums: this is the only way to prevent the appearance of more complex problems, safeguard the health of the mouth and, by avoiding complex and late interventions, even save some money.
In addition, by making periodic checkups, visiting the dentist could become routine, reducing anxiety and stress for the patient.
