Course Description
Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) often experience challenges with daily oral hygiene, have more untreated dental caries, and have a higher prevalence of gingivitis and other periodontal diseases than the general population, all of which
can affect their oral function, overall health, quality of life, and longevity. These individuals commonly face significant access-to-care barriers and challenges in receiving dental care.
The
Lifelong Smiles for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities online course is designed to help you, the oral health professional, more effectively connect with and support clients with ID in maintaining good oral health over their lifetime.
The four-module course, developed by dental hygienists, is made possible through a partnership with Special Olympics BC and the Golisano Foundation’s Healthy Communities program.
The four modules are:
- Facts about individuals with intellectual disabilities
- Preparing the dental office to welcome clients with intellectual disabilities
- Desensitizing strategies for a successful dental appointment for individuals with an intellectual disability
- Strategies to support your client’s daily oral care
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Define and describe intellectual disability, its prevalence and etiology, associated health disparities, and access-to-care barriers experienced by this population
- Identify current supportive legislation and programs
- Recognize the importance of advocating for individuals with ID
- Discuss a step-by-step approach to prepare the oral health team, client, family members/caregivers, and clinic environment to successfully welcome clients with ID
- Identify effective behaviour modification theories, strategies, and tips that can help shape desired behaviour and increase success during dental visits
- Employ an upstream client- and caregiver-centred approach to support effective daily oral hygiene for clients with ID
More Course Information
About the Course Developers
Relevance to Practice
All individuals, regardless of their intellectual disability, deserve access to quality, compassionate client-centred care. Yet, oral health professionals commonly report feeling unprepared to welcome individuals with ID into their practice. The
Lifelong Smiles course consists of four modules that together provide you with important information to increase your knowledge and prepare you to provide more effective oral care to individuals with ID.
Format for Learning
Lifelong Smiles for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities is divided into four modules, each consisting of a video, presentation handout, quiz, and a list of references and additional resources. The videos are 32 to 48 minutes
long, depending on the module, and the entire course should take you approximately 3.5 hours to complete.
You will require access to a computer and the internet to complete the course. A certificate is available for printing upon successful completion of all four modules and quizzes.
Evaluation
- You are encouraged to review the video and make notes on the handouts in preparation for taking the quiz. Exploring the references and additional resources identified for each module will also be beneficial.
- When you feel you are ready, you must complete the quiz at the end of each module before moving on to the next module. The quiz is multiple choice and randomly generated from a pool of questions. The passing score is 80% for each quiz.
- You may attempt each quiz a maximum of two (2) times to achieve a passing grade. If you are not successful, contact CDHA for further assistance.
- A certificate, issued by CDHA, will be available for you to print upon successful completion of all four modules and quizzes.
Course Developers
Carol Yakiwchuk, RDH, MHS
Carol Yakiwchuk holds a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (University of Manitoba) and a Master of Health Studies (Athabasca University),
and has made a lifelong commitment to promoting good oral health for individuals with ID. She is currently a clinical director for Special Olympics BC’s Special Smiles program and a regional advisor for Special Olympics International,
helping to prepare oral health professionals to lead Special Smiles health events in their region. Through a series of engagement sessions with dental hygienists, Special Olympics partners, and Special Smiles global leaders, parents,
caregivers, and individuals with ID, Carol designed and led the development of this innovative online course.
“It is my utmost desire that this online course will empower you to be trusted, empathetic oral health care providers, leaders,
and advocates to the many fellow Canadians with intellectual disabilities that we are so privileged to work with and serve.
Thank you for your commitment to healthier lifelong smiles for individuals with ID!”
Scott Howe
Scott Howe is a founder and managing partner of the Howe International Consulting Group. He holds a Master of International Law and International
Relations from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor of Laws (hons) from City University London. By focusing on the quality of his outputs, Scott has gained a reputation as a motivated and capable leader within development
circles. His career has seen him draft key articles of an international treaty, conduct disability outreach activities in North Korea, and establish award-winning businesses in East Africa. Scott coordinated the production stages of
this course and contributed to course design and content creation.
Graham Pollock
Graham Pollock is a communications professional with a background in journalism and digital storytelling. He has more than 10 years
of experience in the health research sector and has previously collaborated with Special Olympics BC on a variety of video projects. Graham was responsible for filming and editing all footage related to this course. Liam Howe is a
commercial actor in Vancouver, BC. A graduate of the University of Saskatchewan, Liam played football for several Canadian university teams during his student years. Since turning his attention towards the screen, Liam has appeared
in films such as Deadpool and commercials for brands including Lexus. Liam was the onscreen presenter for this course.
Special Olympics would like to recognize the following dental hygienists who helped prepare content for the course:
Mandy Hayre, RDH, BDSc, PID, MEd
Mandy graduated from the diploma program in dental hygiene at the College of New Caledonia in 1991 and went on to obtain a Bachelor of Dental
Science at the University of British Columbia (1994), a Provincial Instructor Diploma (2000), and a Master of Education in Curriculum Studies and Adult Education (University of Victoria, 2002). She has been an educator since 1996 and
started the dental hygiene program at Vancouver Island University in 2006 before becoming the chair of dental programs at Camosun College, Victoria, in 2014.
Carole Whitmer, RDH, BEd(V/T)
Carole completed the dental therapy program from SIAST in 1978 and obtained her diploma in dental hygiene in 1982. She furthered her education
by completing a Bachelor of Vocational/Technical Education at the University of Regina. She was a founding faculty member of the dental hygiene program and an educator for many years at the College of New Caledonia before retiring
in 2016.
Kayla Ragosin-Miller, RDH, PID
Kayla’s passion is working with special needs clientele to provide optimal oral health care without the use of general anesthetic. As an
educator, creator of Special Smiles Dental Intervention Program, and dental hygienist in private practice and at BC Children’s Hospital, she has proven to be successful at what she does using best practice methods.
Elizabeth Morch, DipDH, AGDDE , MEd
Liz graduated from the University of British Columbia with a diploma in dental hygiene and from Athabasca University with a Master of
Education in distance education. She is interested in the integration of technology into the learning environment to enhance the student experience and currently holds a full-time teaching position at Camosun College, Victoria.
Margit Strobl, BDSc(DH), MHS
Margit graduated from the dental hygiene program at the College of New Caledonia in 1990 and obtained a Bachelor of Dental Science in dental
hygiene from the University of British Columbia in 2008. In 2015, she completed her Master of Health Studies from Athabasca University. She has worked for over 28 years in both general and periodontal practices and has served as an
educator for 25 years.
Leta Zaleski, RDH, PID, MEd
Leta Zaleski graduated from the dental hygiene program at the University of Alberta in 1994 and obtained a BC Provincial Instructor Diploma
in 2010. In 2012 she completed the Dental Education in the Care of Persons with Disabilities program through the University of Washington and, in 2013, obtained her Master of Education in Post-Secondary Educational Leadership from
Simon Fraser University. She has a broad and varied range of experience including clinical practice, dental public health, and professional service, and is currently a full-time educator at Camosun College, Victoria.
Special thanks are extended to Ken, Jack, Louise, and Judy for sharing their stories and for all their support, and to the BC Children’s Hospital Dental Clinic for welcoming us.