Inside a brick building behind the Mary Cariola Center on Elmwood Avenue, Mary Times is getting fitted for her new dentures.
“Because people like to get in your face and talk to you,” Times said with a laugh. “So, I would rather them see as close to my original teeth as they can.”
Times said she had never been to the dentist before coming to CP Rochester’s Family Dental Center.
“Now I got a dentist office that I like, and it made me feel good,” she said.
The center prioritizes patients with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Times uses a wheelchair.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 50% of individuals with a disability went to a dentist last year. That compares to 62% for the general population. The disparities in health care, including oral health, are mostly attributed to accessibility, physical obstacles, and a lack of provider knowledge.
“They need the care, and there's so few places they can get it,” said Traci Gruschow, a registered dental hygienist at the center.
After working more than a decade at another center, Gruschow said it was a passion of hers to serve people with disabilities.
“Even if they can't speak, they speak to you with their eyes,” she said. “You can see that they understand that they're cared about, and they're in the right place.”
The center is staffed with two dentists, three hygienists and a supportive team. The rooms are big enough to accommodate wheelchairs, and they are equipped with sensory friendly amenities in each room, like pictures on the ceiling and calming music.
“It is just very important that our clients receive proper dental care with professionals who understand their needs and will not push for more than our clients are able to tolerate in one session,” said Dawn D’Aversa, vice president of clinical services for CP Rochester. She said staff is dedicated to meeting the patients where they are.
CP Rochester’s Family Dental Center accepts Medicaid, and D’Aversa said some individuals travel over two hours to be treated there.
This story is part of Dialogue on Disability Week — a partnership between WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies — in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series.