2024 News

Treating Patients with Autism CE Course

On Thursday April, 11, 2024, MFD will host a Continuing Education course for dentists about treating patients with autism. The course will be held at 8901 Herrman Drive in Columbia. For dentists, your next patient may not use verbal communication, or is perhaps hitting their head with their hands, and/or cries when staff attempt to remove his sunglasses and headphones. What are you thinking? How are you going to conduct the dental appointment? In Maryland, 1 out of every 43 children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It’s not a question of IF you’re going to have patients with Autism – it’s WHEN?

Offering two CE credits, the course will be led by Trish Kane, Deputy Director of Pathfinders for Autism. Training objectives are to offer tips and strategies to support the individual with Autism, and offer a practical understanding of the impacts of Autism, e.g., communication and language processing and sensory processing disorder, and offer some tips and strategies to support the individual in a dental office setting.

Attendees will:

• Recognize characteristics of ASD
• Discuss actions that can easily be misinterpreted as bad behavior when it may be a medical issue
• Learn strategies for communication/language processing and de-escalation
• Understand the impact of sensory issues
•  Experience characteristics through simulation exercises

There will be no cost to attend the course for MFD volunteer dentists. For other attendees, the fee is $25. Click here to register

2023 Highlights

Cricket Smiles Tour Partnership

During the fall, MFD partnered with Cricket Wireless for their Smiles Tour which is a community engagement initiative. Outreach was conducted in five Baltimore locations in Cricket Wireless stores and at Morgan State University with high energy, fun-filled elements including a DJ, food trucks, and darling young cheerleaders. A key activity at each event was one-on-one opportunities to speak with MFD board member dentists about oral hygiene, ask questions and receive free oral hygiene kits, courtesy of Cricket Wireless. MFD board member dentists Drs. Edward Chappelle, Spencer Hornstein, Larry Katkow, Denise Markoff and Janet Yellowitz. MFD interacted with over 1,800 Baltimore residents at the events.