Mental illness is becoming increasing prevalent in Canada as statistics reveal that in any given year one in five Canadians experiences a mental health problem.1 Additionally, literature shows that people are more likely to visit their oral healthcare providers on a regular basis than their other primary healthcare providers.2 It is reported that adults aged 20-44 rarely visit their family doctors for preventive care, yet they visit their oral healthcare professionals at least once a year.2 Therefore, understanding this population`s barriers to oral health care can help clinicians managed this population and treat them with dignity they deserve. In addition to providing clinical services, my team and I held a table clinic to educate the population about the difference between healthy and unhealthy gums and showed them how to care for their oral health daily. The goal of the table clinic was to encourage the population to equip them with the basic knowledge and skills to care for their oral health daily.
Pioneer Community Living Association (PCLA) challenged me in the area of professionalism and client management as I provided treatment to a population living with multiple mental illnesses. I learned the importance of not labeling the residents by their condition, but instead understanding that they are people living with a chronic condition. During the meeting with the care manager of the facility, she stated that the residents “have enough
difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, more so caring for their oral health”. Keeping this in mind and having mindset of empathy, allowed me to understand the justification behind the poor oral health state of some of the residents. My community rotation at PCLA has equipped me with the skills to successfully create andmanage a community oral health program as my team and I were responsible for managing all aspects of the program including: assessing and diagnosing the needs of the population, developing a plan that catered to the needs, manage inventory of supplies, implement the plan, and evaluated the population.
- The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Improving Access To Oral Health Care For Vulnerable People Living In Canada. 2014
- Gordon JS, Albert DA, Crews KM, Fried J. Tobacco education in dentistry and dental hygiene. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009; 28:517–532.