"Approximately 1.85 million people in Ontario have disabilities and ensuring that they receive proper oral care is a major issue"
- Ali Sigal, Founder OHTH
Currently, oral health care is one of the top unmet health needs facing persons with special needs, whom suffer from a greater prevalence of oral disease and unfortunately have the hardest time finding local dental care.
Patients travel up to eight hours to the Dentistry clinic for Persons with Special Needs at Mount Sinai Hospital for a fifteen-minute dental check up. This is an unacceptable reality for persons with special needs, and it is our goal to change it. » Why Mount Sinai?
About Us (Vision, Mission & Initiatives)
- Our vision is a country, in which all persons regardless of their disabilities have universal access to oral health care.
Events
- Breaking attitudinal barriers and advocating for improved oral health care for persons with special needs.
Oral Health, Total Health.
With your generosity,
we can
make a difference.
Did You Know?
-
To ensure proper oral hygiene,
try brushing your teeth
how they grow:
FROM the gum line,
and onto the teeth. -
The gum line is the area most missed when brushing;
coincidently it is
of importance for
one’s oral health. -
The most important
time to brush your
teeth is before
you go to bed. -
You can boil a rubber door stop and try using it as a mouth prop to assist in brushing the
teeth of individuals
who may not be
willing to open
their mouths. -
Use a pea size amount of fluoridated toothpaste when brushing, it is okay
if this small amount
is swallowed. -
When brushing the teeth of a person with special needs, if possible, have the
individual sit so
you can stand
behind them. -
The oral cavity plays a prominent role in an individual’s quality of life as it pertains to communication, nutrition, emotional expression, taste, social appearance and self-esteem
-
Increasing numbers of people with mental retardation no longer live in institutions, and
are dependent on
dentists in
private practice
for care. -
Current research shows that persons with disabilities have greater levels of
periodontal
disease. -
Current research shows that persons with disabilities present with a poorer state
of oral hygiene. -
In Ontario, with over 12 million residents; approximately
1.85 million people
have a disability. -
In Canada in 2006, 14.3% of the population had a disability representing
4.4 million people.
