ENHANCING DENTAL CARE FOR HEARING AND SPEECH-IMPAIRED CHILDREN: THE NECESSITY OF SIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY FOR DENTISTS

One of the ways of ensuring that hearing/speech-impaired children have equal dental care access is by bridging the gap of communication. This article indeed places importance on the need for dentists to get sign language training to facilitate interaction and improve results. Misunderstandings and communication barriers encountered can lead to poorer oral health, thus exacerbating health disparities. The communication barrier between practitioners and patients can be decreased through the use of sign language as well as other communication methods like lip reading, visual tools etc. It also includes suggestions on individual patient care, the setting of clinics, and the active role of parents. The article points out the value of learning sign language in dental training setting as a way of enhancing services rendered to all classes of patients.