University of Toronto: The Bulletin
Excerpt from the Article: 
Ali Sigal, a 23-year-old dentistry student, believes she doe not have to wait until she has earned her dentistry degree to make a difference in the lives of others. In the one short year that she has been in the dentistry program at U of T, she has already broken down barriers between dental students and persons with disabilities in her attempt to address their lack of access to oral health care.
Sigal, daughter of Dr.Michael Sigal, dentist-in-chief at Mount Sinai Hospital and professor of pediatric dentistry at U of T, and a team of her dental school classmates have created a non-profit organization called Oral Health, Total Health (OHTH). The organization is dedicated to advocating, educating and improving oral health care for persons with special needs; and raising $2 million for the Dental Clinic for Persons With Disabilities at the Mount Sinai Hospital, one of U of T ‘s fully affiliated teaching hospitals. The clinic is the largest of its kind in Canada, providing much needed dental care for this high-risk population.
The future dentist’s inspiration to found such an organization stemmed from a summer research study at the clinic which highlighted the fact that persons with disabilities experience a greater load of oral disease than the general population, increasing their risk of general diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Unfortunately, this population also has the hardest time finding local dental care. ‘Oral health care is one of the top unmet health needs facing this population and is an unacceptable reality,’ Sigal said. ‘Many community dentists claim that they do not feel comfortable caring for these people because…
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.
