Question for wheelchair users.?

Hi I am a student in Dental school and I am doing a paper on the difficulties wheelchair users find when they visit the Dentist. I would love any feed back or ideas from you that you would think would improve your visit to the office. Thank you so much for any of your help.

The last time I updated equipment in one room, I chose a chair and unit that could be operated from behind. You just back the wheelchair up to the chair and the unit and sink (cuspidor) and light all pivot around so that they are positioned next to the wheelchair instead of the dental chair. The headrest comes out and re-installs backwards, so we can use the headrest, too. If the patient can be transferred from the wheelchair, this chair has a flat surface without any contours that would impede the process.

I know many diabled people and what would really help is a room where the turns are not too tight to get a wheelchair into and maybe no dental chair at all just all the other equipment. It is often difficult for a person to maneuver into the tight areas of the exam rooms and forget about transferring to the dental chair...shaped all wrong.

Good question.

I work in a practice where we serve an older demographic. They are great patients, show up on time, pay their bills, and are grateful for our care.

Many have "special needs" such as walkers and wheelchairs. We accommodate them in a number of ways:

We work with their transportation to make sure they have a prompt ride to and from our office. (We've even given them rides.)

We plan ahead for wheelchair patients and make sure a larger operatory is reserved and staff is available if necessary to assist them.

In some cases, we actually treat from the wheelchair, if the patient is unable to be moved to a dental chair.

It should be noted that older buildings present obstacles, and not just in stairs or parking. Some dental operatories are constructed without enough clearance for wheelchairs. The Americans with Disabilities Act has laws governing access and can be researched online.

We are happy to serve the dental needs of disabled individuals. Whatever "special" efforts we expend are more than rewarded.

ACCORDING TO THE A.D.A. (AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT) ANY DENTAL OFFICE MUST BE ACCESSIBLE TO WHEELCHAIR USERS. THE EXCEPTION TO THIS IS CONSTRUCTION TO A BUILDING WHERE IT IS GRANDFATHERED IN, AND THESE OFFICES ARE SUCH WHERE WHEELCHAIRS ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE. VISIT THIS SITE.http://tophealthsites.net/health/2/disab...
CAREFUL PLANING BEFORE PATIENTS USING WHEELCHAIRS ARE SEEN WILL MAKE THE VISIT UNEVENTFUL

I am a dental hygienist and have had several patients in wheelchairs/scooters etc.
One thing I have noticed is that they do not want to be treated any differently. A lot of times, they are able to move themselves from their chair to the operatory chair as long as the op chair is raised to meet their level. Also, I would say that persons who require transfer from their own chair into the op chair be given appointments that are slightly longer to accomodate for the time it takes to transfer. If you have a person who is paralyzed, it can take a total of a half hour to transfer them from their wheelchair to the op chair and then back again at the end of the appointment.
I also like to make sure that patients are comfortable. Some elderly patients are unable to lay back completely.
Just some ideas...