How do you handle a spastic patient in the dental chair? This presentation will answer that question. It will be led by Renee Rosati, DO, of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Patients with disabilities present a unique challenge to the dental practitioner in regards to increased saliva production, difficult positioning due to contractures, the presence of dysphagia, and possible behavioral disturbance. This presentation will be a broad overview of pathophysiology of common disabilities such as spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and cerebral palsy. The presentation will touch on common medications prescribed by physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists for spasticity management, hypersialorrhea, and agitation. Attendees of this lecture will leave with a better understanding of the medical interventions available when collaborating with their medical counterparts. This presentation will take place on Friday, April 3rd. 

This hands-on experience will be an extremely unique, interactive lecture. This presentation will be led by Mai-Ly Duong , FSCD, DMD, MPH, MAEd, of A.T. Still University The Center for Advanced Oral Health. This 90-minute hands-on exercise will provide simulated exercises that allow participants to better understand the challenges that people with disabilities face on a daily basis. Exercises include tremor, vision, hearing, and physical challenges. The highlight of this program will be the full-body Geriatric Suit that participants will wear to complete common daily living activities. After these experiences, a facilitated discussion will take place to explore strategies that develop skills in empathy and improve skills in communication. Participants can experience this presentation on Friday, April 3rd. 

What does dentistry look like around the world? Another excellent addition to the programming of the 2020 Annual Meeting includes this presentation led by Juan Molina, DMD. This lecture will present the public efforts of the commonwealth government of Puerto Rico to provide dental care for patients with special health needs, focusing in those who are economically disadvantaged. This lecture will present different dental and behavioral techniques used to be able to provide dental treatment in non-cooperative patients, and will present initiatives to motivate dental medicine students and young dentists to become interested in treating special health needs patients. This lecture is designed to show how the special heath needs patients receive dental treatment in Puerto Rico through different modalities in the public and private system. Participants will have the opportunity to attend this meeting on Friday, April 3rd.