Evidence shows that people with intellectual disabilities living in disability accommodation services are seven times more likely to have more oral health problems then the general population.
In 2008-09, Dental Health Services Victoria worked with Disability Accommodation Services and Plenty Valley Community Health on a pilot project to promote and improve oral health for people with intellectual disabilities.
The project included the following five processes:
Step 1: Promoting oral health in a collaborative approach
Dental services and disability services work collaboratively to promote the oral health of people with intellectual disabilities.
Step 2: Oral health information session
Dental services conduct an oral health information session for house supervisors to introduce new oral health practices.
Step 3: Implementing new oral health practices
Annual oral health care plans and oral health assessments are completed for each resident in the group home.
Step 4: Dental referrals and accessing dental services
Based on the oral health assessment, residents requiring dental treatment are referred to a dental service.
Step 5: Feedback and Evaluation
Following the project’s success, a resource toolkit was created to provide those interested in replicating the project with all the resource and instructions required.
Resource toolkit
Download the toolkit: Promoting oral health for people with an intellectual disability (MHT, 4.68MB).
This resource was created for oral health professionals wishing to replicate the above project. However, with the support of an oral health service and disability service, the project can be coordinated by anyone interested in improving oral health care for people living in disability accommodation services.
For further information, please contact the Health Promotion team on healthpromotion@dhsv.org.au or 9341 1051.