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Building an Inclusive Dental Practice Environment
When I was in dental hygiene school, nobody really knew how to work with a deaf student. I often had to explain the different accommodations and laws for people with disabilities, specifically the deaf population. It was very challenging because not only did I have to learn dental hygiene, but I also had to help educate the dental hygiene department on how to effectively teach me.
After graduating and moving on to finding a job, I remember facing a lot of the same questions at interviews: How are you going to communicate? How are you going to do this or handle that? Are you sure that you can do the job? It made me doubt my worth as a hygienist and question my suitability for the industry.
There were so many barriers that I had to break down. But today, as a dental hygienist and national speaker, I have an opportunity to bring more awareness to the deaf community in dentistry. I also established a nonprofit, That Deaf RDH, which helps inspire deaf students to pursue careers in dental hygiene. We offer financial and community support to help them achieve that goal, while striving to raise awareness within the dental community and affirm that yes, we can do the job!
Fostering Inclusion Through Education
I often coordinate with higher education institutions about how they can provide better accommodations for dental students. By now, many clinicians recognize that dental school doesn’t fully encompass the business side of dentistry, including the important aspects of caring for patients with special needs.
It would be helpful to review current laws, what to do when a patient requires accommodations, how to effectively and appropriately communicate with these patients, and overall, how to better care for patients who are blind or who have hearing loss or sensory disabilities.
It's important to take CE courses that promote awareness for people with disabilities. There are many more accessibility options available today than I had in the past. For example, we now have face masks with a clear window, such as Safe'N'Clear's The Communicator Mask, which help patients who are lipreaders better understand us. There are plenty of actions we can take to create more inclusive practice environments.
Embracing Diversity in Dentistry
By running an inclusive dental practice, you’re opening your doors to diverse patient groups and giving them access to care that they may not receive otherwise. Ultimately, a more diverse team translates to a more diverse practice that will keep growing as your patients recognize you can provide the accommodations they need.
Every year, we create more awareness about the importance of accessibility in dentistry. Looking back at how far I've come, I’m very proud of the milestones I’ve accomplished and the impact that continues to be made in the deaf community and the dental field.
Author Bio:
Amanda Zubricki, RDH, BS, also known as That Deaf RDH, has been practicing dental hygiene since 2017. She started her nonprofit, That Deaf RDH, to support students’ aspirations to become dental hygienists. She also enjoys speaking and advocating for inclusion in the general public and workforce, along with developing and sharing content on her Instagram page, @that.deaf.rdh.