PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS AND DENTISTRY Challenges for Oral Care

About this Seminar

Mental illness is a significant health issue. Mental illness and the resulting disabilities inflict immeasurable difficulties on a patient as well as one’s family and friends including the associated stigma. Mental illness does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, economic status or gender. 

The current landscape of psychiatric illness reveals that one in five adult North Americans will suffer from some form of mental illness during their lifetime. A far greater percentage will not receive treatment until many years after the onset of illness. According to recent W.H.O. reports, depression is the leading cause of health impairment worldwide. 

It is incumbent upon us to improve our knowledge and understanding of this often complex yet “silent” aspect of a patient's medical history. Oral manifestations of mental illness including from any psychopharmacology are common. Psychiatric disorders often lead to decreased compliance as well as difficulty obtaining dental treatment.

Dental practitioners must demonstrate patience, flexibility, empathy and a non-stigmatizing attitude. Enhancing one’s self-esteem and feelings of self-worth can be a very fulfilling experience that only serves to continue to break down the stigma surrounding these illnesses. 

Learning Objectives:

• Demonstrate the interaction between mental illness and its deleterious effects on good oral health.


• Comprehend interactions between psychopharmacology and drugs that may be used in dental treatment.


• Understand how oral pathology can be consequences of mental illness and psychopharmacology.


• Understand the stigma and disabilities associated with mental illness and the impact on one’s life.


• Be able to recognize a mental health crisis and develop practical office management skills.

Presenters

About Dr. David Clark

DDS, MSc. (Pathology), FRCDC

Dr. David Clark is the former Staff Dentist at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Whitby, Ontario.  He is an Instructor in Dentistry, University of Toronto - Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnosis and has served as a part-time clinical instructor (Dental Hygiene) at Durham College, Oshawa and at George Brown College, Toronto.

He obtained his DDS in1976 and MSc.(Pathology) in 1986. Dr. Clark is a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada (Oral Pathology). Memberships include the Pierre Fauchard Academy and Academy of Dentistry International. Dr. Clark was the recipient of the 2015 Award of Distinction – Academy of Dentistry International and the 2016 Ontario Dental Association Award of Merit.

His hospital-based dental practice was devoted to the dental care of individuals undergoing care for various forms of psychiatric illness often in association with other medical comorbidities.