Unit Zero: Oral Health Symposium on Caring for People with Disabilities

Course Background / Overview

In February 2019, NYU Dentistry opened the Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities (OHCPD). Housed in an ultramodern 8,000-square-foot facility, the Center is designed to provide comprehensive dental care for people with physical, cognitive, and developmental disabilities or medical conditions that prevent them from receiving care in a conventional dental clinic. In addition to offering much-needed clinical services to patients, the OHCPD provides a unique training opportunity for our students. As we train the next generation of dentists, we seek to offer unique clinical care opportunities and challenges that extend the clinical skills and experience of our students — as well as those of other dental providers.

The U.S. Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) requires all predoctoral dental education programs across the country to educate and train students on managing and caring for patients with disabilities. In order to meet this challenge and have a transformative impact on the care/access provided to patients with disabilities, we aim to promote the lessons learned in the Center to become a model of statewide DDS education for treating patients with disabilities. The first step in this process is to facilitate a basic understanding of the concepts and a practical application of educational and treatment strategies grounded in a shared language across institutions. 

Through the generous support of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, we are pleased to offer "Unit Zero," a two-day, CE-granting symposium for dental educators at any New York State institution. Faculty participants will benefit from a speaker panel that includes advocates, clinicians, administrators, and third-party payers. 

Upcoming Unit Zero events

Presentations include:

• History and Importance of Understanding People with Disabilities
  presented by Dr. Steve Perlman
• Understanding Your IDD Patients
  presented by Dr. Rita Bilello
• Multisensory Simulation and Accommodation Techniques
  presented by Ben Hudson
• Transitioning the Pediatric Patient with Special Needs Toward a Lifetime of Oral Healthcare as an Adult
  presented by Dr. Allen Wong
• A More Equitable Future
  presented by Dr. Mali McGuire
• Smiles United
  presented by Dr. Raquel M. Rozdolski & Dr. Susan DiSenso-Browne
• Breaking Barriers, Building Smiles: Tailoring Care for Individuals with DisABILITIES
  presented by Dr. Serena Simone
• Applied Behavioral Analysis; Understanding & Implementation
  presented by Kelly McKinnon
• Pharmacologic Management for Dental Patients with ASD
  presented by Dr. Ron Kosinski
• A Day in the Life
  presented by Barbie Vartanian