handicapped laws re avaliability of dental care for quadraplegics?

Question

Every community should have at least one dentist whose office is equipped to handle patients in electic wheelchairs who can't be4 tansferred to the regular dental chair. The entire Norfolk area doesn't have such a dentist. My son is a quad on suctioinm with rotten teeth. He has dental insurance, bu no dentist in the Norfold area can accomodate a patient in an electric chair. One that can't be transfered to the conventional denal chair without the use od a Hoya life.So hse's spent 10 years with abcesseed teeth, actute pain, and the only relief he's gotten is when he goes to the VA for his annual physical they will pull those that are aching. When about the effects of infected teeth on general health? He has dental insurance. What he needs is a dentist.

Isabel Scott
[e-mail]

Answer 1

I'm a dentist.

I can understand your frustration. I've encountered many situations like yours before (people unable to find a dentist willing to treat them), especially when I was doing my surgery internship. Many general dentists would send patients like your son to us to take to the operating room and remove all their rotten teeth.

If I understand it correctly, your son is unable to protect his own airway. Even if he could stand up and do jumping jacks in the treatment room, I'd refuse to treat him in my office. Any dentist would do the same.

What you need is a general dentist with operating room privileges (believe it or not, some general dentists do have them). That way, treatment can often be completed in one or two appointments, and it frees the doctor from having to manage your son's airway, as he will be intubated and thus have a protected airway. This aspect would be monitored by an anesthesiologist.

It's more expensive, but you'll need to bite the bullet.

Check with some local pediatric dentists. They often have OR privileges. If your son is too old for them to treat, they still may be able to refer you to a general dentist with OR privileges.

Answer 2

Isabel, I feel for you and your son. The status of his airway is not clear to me, but if it is compromised, I agree with Nebula.

If he is pretty much stable, you may still be able to find a dentist who can handle him in the office. I have a ramp for access (although it is NOT required) and I have two units that can be sort of reversed for use with the patient in a wheelchair. It is the Adec Radius unit and it is an extremely popular unit and chair, so you might find someone who has this same set-up. You just reverse the headrest and back the wheelchair into position behind the dental chair so the patient's head meets up with the headrest. The equipment can then spin around behind the regular chair and it's almost business as usual.

Norfolk is a big town. If you tried a directory service, perhaps nobody has registered, but if you do an office-by-office poll (on the phone) you might find one or more who can accomodate an electric wheelchair. I'm just a "little guy" in a one-horse town and I can do it. I'm just not registered with any agencies or anything.

Answer 3

That's a tough one. I'm sorry that you're having a hard time finding a dentist to accommodate him. It's sad to think he may be in pain and you can't do anything to help.
I'm sure you've called around and spoken with many dentists in your area.
Have you asked his general physician for a referral?

If I were you, I would compose a letter that expresses your concern for your son's health. Describe the problems he has, the medicines he takes and the pain that he's in. Send, with this letter, a picture of your son (to make it more personal) to every dentist in your area.
Ask them if they could help. You may be surprised at just how clever dentists can be when faced with situations like these.
Have you asked if his teeth can be worked on from his wheelchair. We actually extracted a tooth on a lady in a wheelchair because she couldn't get into our chair. Send the letters marked to a specific doctor, not the practice's name.
If I can help you with your letter, feel free to e-mail me.
Best wishes!