Caring For Patients With Hearing Impairment

By Kimberly A. Erdman, RDH, PHDHP, MSDH

Effective communication is essential in the dental setting for proper patient care and patient compliance.¹ Patients with hearing impairment face difficulty communicating, leading to an increased potential for social isolation and decreased quality of life.² Communication can be a major challenge for dental hygienists, who must review patients’ medical histories, obtain informed consent, and provide oral health education.³ Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, dental providers are required to establish effective communication with individuals who are hearing impaired. These efforts must achieve the same level of communication required for hearing patients.⁴

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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