Education videos for oral health professionals.
We have developed and produced an educational DVD to increase the confidence of oral health professionals when providing oral health care to a person with an intellectual disability and to work effectively with disability support staff.
Filling The Gap video is now available to view online as two videos. Click on the play buttons below to watch each video.
Be aware this is an educational video aimed at health care professionals. The information and scenes within this video may be upsetting to some viewers.
Filling The Gap
(Please note: you will need access to YouTube to view these videos. )
© Dental Health Services Victoria
Some oral health professionals may feel uncomfortable about providing oral health care to people with an intellectual disability. Some of the reasons for this include inability of managing behaviours of concern in the dental setting, complex medical conditions and polypharmacy, and the complexity of multiple disabilities in some individuals.
The film provides oral health professionals with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to increase their confidence in providing oral health care to people with an intellectual disability.
The film portrays a number of dentists and specialists providing oral health care to individuals with an intellectual disability, in a dental setting.
This film aims to dispel the myth that people with intellectual disability are hard to treat, you just have to think outside the square.
The facts are that people with an intellectual disability:
- Have worse oral health than the general public
- Have more health problems in general
- Experience greater barriers in accessing health care
- Are less likely to be offered preventive health measures
- Are often less equipped to communicate oral discomfort
These health issues are compounded by communication and cognitive difficulties. The International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability (IASSID) has recommended annual dental examinations for people with an intellectual disability.
This DVD will provide oral health professionals with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to increase their confidence in providing oral health to people with an intellectual disability and to work effectively with disability support staff.