Accommodations for Deaf Dental Patients

Everyone needs dental care, hearing or not. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires most businesses to make services accessible to customers with disabilities, and this includes providers of dental care. Making dental care accessible to deaf patients means finding ways to communicate effectively with them. All deaf patients are not the same, and they may prefer different modes of communication.

Figuring Out How You Will Communicate

When a deaf patient schedules an appointment with your office, ask about his preferred mode of communication. Many deaf people in the U.S. use American Sign Language (ASL) but some use other forms of sign language and some speak and speechread (lipread). If patients prefer to communicate with sign language, you will need an interpreter unless you and other members of your staff are fluent in the patient's preferred form of sign. Some patients may prefer to bring someone with them to their appointments to interpret for them, but other times you will need to provide an interpreter.

Some patients may prefer to communicate during appointments by writing notes back and forth. Some patients will have better reading and writing skills than others, of course. Keep in mind that for many deaf people, English is actually their second language. Many learn ASL before learning much English and ASL is the primary language used by many deaf people. ASL has its own rules about grammar and sentence structure and these rules are different from the rules of the English language.

Arranging for an Interpreter if Necessary

If your patient prefers for you to provide an interpreter, you can visit the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf online at http://www.rid.org/ or telephone them at 703-838-0030 to locate interpreters in your area. Make sure the interpreter you engage is a registered interpreter; that way you know she is qualified for the job.

Interpreters usually charge by the hour and fees may vary, so make sure you understand what you will be charged and when payment will be expected prior to your patient's appointment.

Communicating during Examinations, Teeth Cleanings and Other Procedures

If your patient has an interpreter, speak directly to the patient and the interpreter will interpret. Don't look at the interpreter and say, "Ask him if has had his wisdom teeth removed" or "Please tell her she will need a root canal on that tooth."

When communicating with patients that speechread, make sure to face them and speak in a normal tone of voice. Use clear face masks when treating patients that speechread. If you do not have clear face masks, remove your face mask when you need to communicate with your patient.

Sources:

Journal of the American Dental Association. http://www.adajournal.com/cgi/content/full/131/1/108. Treating Hearing-Impaired People.

Captions.com. http://www.captions.com/hospital.html. Hospitals Responsibilities to the Deaf Under the ADA.