Visiting a dentist can be difficult for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia or neurological ailments that affect seniors. These illnesses often cause people to become confused or disoriented. The experience of going to the dentist’s office, sitting in the chair, and remaining still for a treatment, procedure, or just a basic check-up can be overwhelming and frightening for them.
Many dentists have limited or no experience working with Alzheimer’s patients or other patients with special needs. Dentistry is a vast field and there are many areas of specialization, both in terms of dental treatments and the patients that dentists can best serve.
The Blende Dental Group has spent more then twenty years providing high quality dental care to a wide range of people with special needs, including those coping with Alzheimer’s disease. Our extensive medical knowledge about various diseases combined with our vast experience in the field has enabled us to treat patients who are otherwise not well served by traditional dentistry methods.
Alzheimer’s Dentist
An Alzheimer’s dentist offers two basic benefits for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia: working knowledge about the disease and experience treating patients who have it.
Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease, which can cause confusion, moodiness, and aggressive behavior. Difficulty with language and communication and memory loss are common symptoms. It is a difficult disease to cope with – for the patient and his or her loved ones – and for professionals responsible for providing health services, including medical and dental treatments.
Understanding Alzheimer’s disease is essential for medical professionals and caretakers who work with people that have the disease. These professionals are best equipped to help Alzheimer’s patients when they have a clear understanding of the symptoms, especially the behavioral symptoms, as well as knowledge about medicines and treatments that doctors usually provide and prescribe to patients with Alzheimer’s.
A textbook knowledge of Alzheimer’s is essential but even better is real-world experience working with and treating these patients. An Alzheimer’s dentist has hands-on experience providing dental care to such patients and offers patience and compassion when working with them.
Sedation Dentistry for Alzheimer’s Patients
The Blende Dental Group has become a renowned leader in sleep and sedation dentistry. We utilize modern medications that provide sedation for patients allow them to relax or sleep through dental procedures. For special needs patients, including those with Alzheimer’s, sedation has been proven extremely beneficial for the patients’ health and overall well-being.
Many patients with special needs are easily confused, have difficulty sitting still or trouble dealing with the stress and unfamiliarity of a dentist’s visit. For these patients, sedation provides painless, stress-free access to optimum dental health.
One of our most recognized dentistry methods is our One-Sleep-Visit™ total dentistry method, in which we can perform a large amount of dental work in a single visit that takes place in a hospital while the patient is under sleep sedation. This method has made complex dental procedures accessible to special needs patients who find it difficult or impossible to sit in the dentist’s chair for a single visit, let alone numerous visits over time.
The Blende Dental Group’s Alzheimer’s Dentist
The Blende Dental Group has been working with special needs patients for over 20 years. To learn more or to schedule an appointment with an Alzheimer’s dentist, call 1-800-575-3375.
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