Interdisciplinary Approaches to Creating Sensory-Adapted Dental Environments

Through engaging presentations and an interactive panel, you will gain insight into:

• Describe disparities in oral health status between individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and the general population.

• Identify the sensory challenges that commonly arise in dental environments and accommodate individuals with additional needs

• Describe evidence-informed strategies — drawn from occupational therapy, dentistry, psychology, and other disciplines — for reducing sensory barriers and accommodating patients with additional need

• Apply principles of interdisciplinary care planning to integrate oral health goals into broader plans of care that support whole-person health outcomes

• Summarize current research findings on Sensory Adapted Dental Environments (SADE), including outcome measures and evidence gaps