One Graduate ’ s Special Needs Experience
Loving what you do is priceless ; and even more so when you are blessed with smiles of gratitude from the people that you care for .
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Dr . Claire Guillemin ’ s NYU Lutheran
Dental Medicine AEGD residency at We Care Dental was invaluable in terms of giving her the skills and confidence to provide oral health care to patients with special needs .
“ Special needs patients require just as much attention as any other patients — if not even more . Investing the time and effort necessary to work with and care for special needs patients is challenging and sometimes intimidating , but overcoming physical , behavioral , and intellectual challenges to achieve oral health for special needs patients is one of the most rewarding experiences in the dental profession ,” Dr . Guillemin said .
Born in the south of France , Dr . Guillemin moved to the U . S . with her parents and sister at age ten . After living on the east coast for seven years , she relocated to what she now considers “ home sweet home ,” Los Angeles , where she attended
Claire Guillemin , DDS AEGD ALUM ’ 16
the University of Southern California and Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry USC . After receiving her degree in dental medicine in 2015 , she immediately entered the NYU Lutheran Dental Medicine AEGD program at We Care Dental .
A big takeaway from Dr . Guillemin ' s AEGD experience is the importance of gaining a special needs patient ’ s trust and affection . “ It can make the difference between treating a combative patient and a cooperative — even potentially motivated — one . I will forever remember one of my special needs patients . She ran up to me from the lobby with a big , bright smile on her face , yelling ' Dr . G ! Guess what ? I ’ ve been flossing every single day since our last visit !'” Then her big smile turned into a sad one and , with a sobbing look on her face , she said ‘ But there is a problem : I ran out of floss !”
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AEGD PGY-2 in Arizona Focuses on Complex Patient Care
At the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health ( ASDOH ) in Mesa , AZ , NYU Lutheran Dental Medicine offers a unique AEGD PGY-2 experience . The program , open to dentists who have completed AEGD PGY-1 , focuses on treatment of medically complex patients , including patients with IDD , cancer , hemophilia , HIV , and organ transplants . Residents ’ clinical care experience primarily takes place in ASDOH ’ s Advance Care Center at the Mesa campus and Dental Care West site , and includes exposure to advanced restorative dentistry , orofacial pain conditions , and sedation dentistry . Dr . Maureen Perry , AEGD Associate Director- Central Arizona , oversees the program .
Issue 7 , Journal 1 ; November 2016
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