disABILITIES & Dentistry at a Glance

According to the World Health Organization, 16 percent of the world’s population have a disability and are three times more likely to be denied health care.  The National Council on Disability stated that Oral Health Care is often the most difficult type of service for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to obtain.  This is a generalized evidence-based presentation that includes future population trends, definitions of disability, disability civil rights, barriers to care, and related concepts to maximize positive oral health outcomes.  Time permitting, real-world patient encounters will be discussed to highlight the intersection of medicine and dentistry in the delivery of safe comprehensive oral care.

Dr. Robert William Frare is a graduate of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.  His post-graduate training includes a Fellowship for Developmentally Disabled Individuals at Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine, General Practice Residencies with the Veterans Administration Hudson Valley Health Care System and Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.  Dr. Frare is is currently a full time Assistant Professor of Clinical Restorative Dentistry at University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.