Functional Approach to Disability and Oral Health - Transforming Theory into Practice

Overview

What you will study

• The 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability reported that 6.2 million Canadians lived with disability, with estimates that this figure will only rise in the coming decade. Most of these individuals do not require dental care in a hospital setting and can be seen in most dental practices. 
• The functional model of disability gives primacy to the ability of the individual to function and considers the pathologies associated with the disability in terms of how they limit function. 

• This approach is codified in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Function (WHO-ICF). While most individuals with disabilities have traditionally been treated by Paediatric dentists, it is important for these individuals to have a regular dental home, even as they transition into adulthood. 
• The Canadian Dental Association along with the Canadian Society for Disability and Oral Health have used the functional model of disability to develop a Case Complexity Tool and a Transition tool to help clinicians integrate special care dentistry into their practices.  

• The Functional Approach to Disability and Oral Health - Transforming Theory into Practice course offered by Harvard University will discuss this subject.