A visit to the dentist can be stressful for a lot of people, especially people with intellectual and/developmental disabilities (IDD). Communication can be challenging, and people with IDD want to be heard, respected, and cared for.
That’s why we partnered with Delta Dental New Jersey and Delta Dental Michigan to create the IEC Dental Toolkit. This toolkit was made to help people with IDD, their support teams, and dental providers have more successful dental visits. Each tool is free to download and use. What’s in the toolkit?
For Dental Professionals
It contains resources for dentists and their office staff, including a guide for how to avoid misunderstandings in healthcare conversations, supporting patients with complex needs, and more.
For People with IDD
The toolkit can help prepare people with IDD for their dental visit, including an outline for what to expect during a dental visit, a plain language guide for understanding dental procedures, and tools to support communication at the dentist’s office.
How to Get the IEC Dental Toolkit:
- Go to: Practical Tools to Improve Dental Care for People with IDD
- Complete the form on that webpage
- You will then receive an email with a link to download the toolkit
You can download the whole IEC Dental Toolkit as a zip file or individual resources, depending on what you need.