At the Dentist’s Office, Practitioners are More Prepared to Care for All Patients
09/30/2024
SLU Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program Leads in Disability-Focused Oral Health Care
The dentist’s office is becoming a more inclusive place, thanks to better training for those who care for children with disabilities.
The Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program at Saint Louis University’s Center for Advanced Dental Education (CADE) leads in educating future pediatric dentists to treat patients with disabilities and complex medical needs.
Daniel C. Stoeckel, DDS, right, works with a resident during a class in Saint Louis University's Center for Advanced Dental Education on July 11, 2024. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
According to the National Council on Disability, these patients are at higher risk for poor oral health and face multiple barriers to accessing care, including a shortage of appropriately trained professionals. While at the dentist’s office, children with autism, for example, may struggle with sensory overload during the unfamiliar sensations experienced at a teeth cleaning. A patient who uses a wheelchair may have difficulty accessing a dentist’s chair. Someone with a blood disorder may worry that a dentist isn’t trained to provide care in a way that is safe for their condition.
The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) approved standards in 2019, requiring all U.S. dental schools to train students in assessing and managing patients with disabilities and complex medical needs in their graduation requirements.
Resident Katelyn Glaenzer models a dental exam for a pediatric patient at Saint Louis University's Center for Advanced Dental Education on July 11, 2024. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
Providing residents with the required clinical training has been a strength of SLU's program since it started in 2017, said Dan Stoeckel, DDS, pediatric dentistry graduate program director at SLU’s CADE.
"The variety of patients we see at SLU prepares our residents to be confident and skilled at working with all patients," said Stoeckel, who also directs pediatric dentistry at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.
CODA fully accredits SLU’s program, and it is the only pediatric dentistry residency program in eastern Missouri or southern Illinois. Residents admitted to the program serve children and adolescent patients with disabilities and complex medical needs in a clinical setting at CADE and the operating rooms and emergency room at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.
"Upon completing the program, our residents are equipped with the clinical experience to tackle the oral health and psychosocial needs of vulnerable populations, ranging from those with blood disorders and cancer patients to those who have autism and Down syndrome,” said Avanija Reddy, DMD, the associate program director at SLU's Cade. "Dental students and dentists specializing in pediatric dentistry seek this experience."
Residents at SLU learn to use non-pharmacological behavior management techniques, such as modeling, nitrous oxide, and conscious sedation, at the SLU clinic. When necessary, the residents perform dental care under general anesthesia at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. They also learn advanced diagnostic and surgical procedures, oral pathology, child-related pharmacology, radiology, child development, and oral or facial trauma management.
Physicians at the Danis Pediatric Center at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital directly refer low-income patients from birth to age 12 years old to the pediatric dental clinic for regular cleanings and checkups. The clinic will accept patients with disabilities and complex medical needs referred by Cardinal Glennon up to age 21. The dental clinic is one of the few in the St. Louis Metropolitan area that accept Medicaid.
Latest Newslink
- Saint Louis University Student Speaks About Student Leadership at Ignatian Family Teach-In for JusticeSaint Louis University senior Reueline Arulanandam offered her perspective on student leadership to more than 2,000 participants at the 2024 Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice. The event, held in Washington, D.C., is the nation’s largest annual Catholic social justice gathering and advocacy day.
- SLU Study: Immune Dysfunction Increases Cancer Risk in Obese PopulationsRyan Teague, Ph.D., professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at Saint Louis University’s School of Medicine, and his team are now trying to uncover the exact mechanism underlying the metabolic dysfunctions associated with obesity that directly impact T-cell function.
- SLU Students Compete in a Battle of the BridgesSLU Science and Engineering students tested their engineering skills in a timed innovation challenge building bridges out of cardboard tubes and duct tape.
- SLU to Hold GIS Day November 20Saint Louis University will host GIS (Geographic Information System) Day on Wednesday, Nov. 20. The one-day conference will feature speakers who work on GIS projects in the St. Louis region.
- SLU Study Explores the Pandemic’s Impact on Breastfeeding Practices in Historically Marginalized CommunitiesThe study, recently published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal, found that 34% of mothers said stay-at-home orders facilitated easier breastfeeding at home, stronger mother-child bonding, and extended breastfeeding duration for many women. However, the pandemic also presented significant barriers, including limited access to lactation support and heightened maternal stress.
- Two New Exhibitions Opening at Saint Louis University Museum of ArtSaint Louis University Museum of Art (SLUMA) opens The Past Beneath Our Feet and Renaissance Man on Friday, Nov. 15. "The Past Beneath Our Feet" presents findings from two decades of exploration in Ireland by SLU professor Thomas Finan, Ph.D. "Renaissance Man" presents selected works by the Honorable Nathan B. Young Jr.
