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OHP Success Story – Summer 2020

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Shane, age 31, resides in a group home due to Autism, language impairment, and intellectual developmental disorder. Shane enjoys expressing himself through many art forms, including drawing, sculpting, and making figurines out of whatever materials are available to him. He also finds happiness in watching YouTube videos, playing games on his tablet, and collecting Furbies.

All of these activities help Shane to relax but at the end of March he was struggling to enjoy his usual hobbies. Shane had begun to wince in pain whenever he ate. He was so distressed by the aching in his mouth that he would aggressively act out towards his caregivers whenever he felt this pain. Shane’s caregivers contacted ENDS, who scheduled an emergency dental exam with a mobile dentist, Dr. James Hayden, and his assistant, Candice.

The caregivers reached out to ENDS and reported that Shane’s behaviors improved immediately after Dr. Hayden completed his treatment with Shane. During these trying times it is vital to maintain the ability to care for our fellow Oregonians, especially the vulnerable population.

ENDS providers have strived to keep emergency care available the COVID-19 global pandemic. These crucial services are available thanks to benefits provided through the Oregon Health Plan and ENDS’ four partnering dental care organizations:

  • Capitol Dental Care
  • CareOregon Dental
  • Managed Dental Care of Oregon
  • Willamette Dental

OHP Success Story – Spring 2020

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Harry, age 38, lives with Down syndrome and type two diabetes. His mother says that Harry does not let his syndromes get him down. He enjoys spending time watching movies and caring for the family pug, Penny. Although Harry is generally a happy person, sometimes dental pain and infection can get in the way of that.

An Exceptional Needs Dental Services (ENDS) dentist, Dr. James P. Hayden Jr., saw Harry for an emergency exam. Harry could not verbalize what was wrong when he began refusing food, but he held the left side of his face to show that he was in pain. Because Harry had difficulty making sense of why someone would try to put their hands on in his mouth, he initially would not allow Dr. Hayden to touch him. Through encouragement from his parents though, Harry eventually approved of the doctor to look at his teeth and take some diagnostic pictures. Dr. Hayden determined Harry had an abscess and referred him for treatment at the hospital under general anesthesia.

The ENDS office coordinated hospital dentistry under general anesthesia with Dr. Brian Summers. Dr. Summers was able to add Harry as an urgent case to the hospital schedule for the following Friday. To make the most of the opportunity, Harry’s parents asked that he have his fingernails and toenails clipped while he was undergoing surgery, as it was quite a struggle to trim them due to his behaviors. Due to Harry’s diabetes, the ENDS surgery scheduler coordinated a special diabetic clinic provider to come and clip his nails.

Thanks to the benefits provided through the Oregon Health Plan (OHP), Dr. Summers treated Harry in the hospital just four days after he was referred for treatment. The appointment prevented the spread of the infection and significantly eased Harry’s pain. The ENDS program helps to ensure that Oregonians’ have access to the oral health care they need.

OHP Success Story – Winter 2020

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Judi, age 79, was referred to Exceptional Needs Dental Services (ENDS) in 2015. She suffers from Alzheimer’s dementia and depression. She is also bedbound and unable to leave her facility for dental or medical treatment.

Judi is extremely passionate about home-style cooking. She has always enjoyed preparing meals for her children. Their usual requests were meatloaf, potato salad, as well as chicken and dumplings. Judi learned how to cook from her family and was never one to follow a recipe, but preferred “cooking to taste.”

As time has gone on, Judi has developed extremely limited physical coordination and has become unable to care for her teeth on her own. The nursing staff would help her by providing assistance with brushing her teeth regularly. When Dr. James Hayden, an ENDS mobile dentist, visited Judi at her facility it, was apparent that she had periodontal disease in her remaining teeth. Dr. Hayden took x-rays that confirmed this and set up a treatment plan for Judi to have several extractions.

Prior to being seen by Dr. Hayden, Judi was experiencing a loss of appetite and she would rarely smile. She was so relieved that Dr. Hayden and his assistant were able to see her at the nursing home. She said they were wonderfully knowledgeable and very kind.

After receiving her new dentures, Judi’s care provider went to ask how she was doing and found that Judi was so excited and happy that her smile filled the room. Judi was thrilled with how comfortable and pretty her new teeth were. She said that it was a “dream come true.”

Because of the dental care benefits made possible by Oregon Health Plan (OHP), and providers like Dr. Hayden, Judi has had all her dental needs met and she couldn’t be happier.

OHP Success Story – Autumn 2019

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Exceptional Needs Dental Services (ENDS) provides dental care access to individuals with exceptional needs, serving those who are functionally impaired, requiring assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and are unable to obtain treatment in a traditional office setting. Dr. James P. Hayden, Jr., has been delivering mobile dental care through the ENDS program for over twenty-four years.

ENDS contracts with over twenty providers to deliver mobile dentistry services to Oregonians residing in long-term care facilities throughout western Oregon, including the Portland Metropolitan Area, the Mid-Valley, and Southern Oregon. Dr. Hayden sees all of ENDS’ special needs patients throughout the entire Mid-Valley, from Newberg to Eugene, along the coast, and everywhere in between.

Many of Dr. Hayden’s patients, their families, caregivers, and other support staff have spoken highly about the service he delivers. “I can’t imagine many people that would take on what he does.” One of the biggest things they appreciate is his promptness. “He is quick to respond with a friendly attitude to patients in pain and will phone in prescriptions on the weekend, if the need arises.”

Caregivers have also told us that after an unsuccessful visit in a traditional office, some patients feel discouraged. Fortunately, Dr. Hayden’s experience working with patients who have advanced dementia have taught him how to perform exams when even patients’ family members did not think it possible. “We don’t know what our residents would do without his services, because they can’t go out to see a dentist.” ENDS would like to take this time to honor and thank Dr. Hayden for his many years of hard work and dedication. 

The ENDS program is a partnership established by four Oregon dental care organizations:

Capitol Dental Care
CareOregon Dental
Managed Dental Care of Oregon
Willamette Dental

The ENDS Program connects providers, like Dr. Hayden, throughout Oregon to those that need it most through the dental care benefits made possible through Oregon Health Plan.

 

OHP Success Story – Summer 2019

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Danny, age 24, has severe autism and is happily living a quiet life in southern Oregon. On days when the weather is nice, Danny enjoys going for car rides with his Mom, taking walks, and swimming. He also enjoys listening to jazz and watching Baby Einstein videos. Danny is typically a relaxed person, although he has never been able to tolerate treatment in a dentist’s office.

Before Danny’s family moved from California to Oregon three years ago, Danny had always needed to be sent to the hospital for dental treatment under general anesthesia. That all changed when he was referred from Capitol Dental Care to Dr. Jim Hales, an Exceptional Needs Dental Services (ENDS) provider. Dr. Hales has been working with the special needs population through the ENDS program since 1995, and he has been working as a dentist for over 50 years. After being assigned to Dr. Hales, Danny allowed a dentist to look at his teeth without the need of sedation for the first time.

Dr. Hales believed that he could treat Danny even further, and decided that he could achieve this by having Danny come to the office frequently. He invited Danny back to the office often, even if it was just to sit and get comfortable with being in the dentist’s office. With every visit, Danny was smiling more and more and, as time went on, he allowed the doctor to perform more intensive treatment. Over a few appointments, Dr. Hales was able to completely clean all of Danny’s teeth and even got a full set of x-rays! Danny’s mom says that having Dr. Hales as her son’s dentist is a relief to her, and she is so happy that the doctor was able to create an environment that helped Danny to receive much-needed treatment without being sedated. Danny’s mother has continued to be “astounded” by Dr. Hales’ ability to treat her son.

Danny’s mother says that Dr. Hales is a dentist with a special touch, and she is so thankful that Danny is able to receive treatment through the ENDS program. All of this is a result of the continued support for the dental benefits provided to members of the Oregon Health Plan. Because of that ongoing support, our special needs communities can continue to grow and improve from the unique talents and expertise of providers like Dr. Hales.

OHP Success Story – Spring 2019

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Diana, age 27, was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. She has lived with her grandmother nearly her whole life. Growing up, Diana attended a Portland public school as a student in the special education program. After she completed her education she was connected to Trellis (trellis-or.com), a special education program that uses a team model in which families and professionals work together to develop social and independent life skills.

The Trellis program pairs Diana with a direct support provider for therapeutic integration into the community twice a week. They accompany her on numerous outings which include shopping malls, art classes, dance lessons, volunteer opportunities, and other group activities. Diana spends much of her free time on the computer, engaged with YouTube or watching her favorite cartoon characters. She loves to breathe new life into her cartoons by writing short stories about the characters.

Diana is able to visit a traditional dental office for exams and cleanings, but she is unable to tolerate more extensive dental treatments. It was for that reason that she was referred to Exceptional Needs Dental Services (ENDS) for hospital dentistry before being referred back to her primary care dentist.  

Diana’s grandmother said the ENDS staff were extremely caring and supportive towards Diana and she is grateful that ENDS was able to coordinate the necessary oral procedure for Diana. “The treatment was not as traumatic as she had feared and now Diana has taken a special interest in her dental hygiene.” The care and compassion delivered by ENDS’ providers, along with the dental benefits provided by the Oregon Health Plan, ensure patients receive the treatment they need to continue living a happy and healthy life.

OHP Success Story – Winter 2019

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Brandon, age 26, was diagnosed with Autism at the age of two. He lives with his family and does not communicate verbally. Brandon enjoys watching Disney musicals and has always been fascinated by different modes of transportation – boats, planes, and cars.

Brandon’s family spent much of past year looking into what medical and dental resources were available to him. Through Oregon Health Plan Medicaid, his dental insurance referred him to Exceptional Needs Dental Services (ENDS). The ENDS program is a partnership established by four Oregon dental care organizations:

– Capitol Dental Care
– CareOregon Dental
– Managed Dental Care of Oregon
– Willamette Dental

The ENDS program provides dental care access to individuals with exceptional needs, serving those who are functionally impaired, requiring assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and are unable to obtain treatment in a traditional office setting.

Before treatment through ENDS, it had been over five years since Brandon had had a full dental exam performed. His Acute Situational Anxiety and Autism meant that he could not be successfully treated in a traditional dental office. However, his new ENDS provider was able to treat him at the hospital under general anesthesia. Brandon’s father Joe said of the experience, “From the time we got to the Hospital – to sign in our son in, to all the nurses, to the anesthesiologist, to the Dentist, and to check out – everything went well.”  Thanks to Brandon’s family’s diligence in brushing his teeth and maintaining his oral health, the treating provider reported that Brandon’s teeth were actually in pretty good shape.

Joe says that they feel lucky to have access to the dental resources that ENDS provides. Brandon’s father says he had contacted every dentist in his area from the Autistic Society website and none of them were able to meet Brandon’s needs. The ENDS Program connects providers throughout Oregon to those that need it most through the dental care benefits made possible through Oregon Health Plan.

OHP Success Story – Autumn 2018

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Emily, age 30, suffered from a traumatic brain injury that left her unable to speak or care for herself. In 2017, her life was dramatically altered when she was involved in a head-on collision with a bus. It was originally thought that Emily was going to remain in a coma forever. Her mother, Brenda, was always confident that Emily would recover. While Emily did awake from the coma, the accident has resulted in a life time of challenges for her.

When Emily regained consciousness it quickly became apparent that she was in a great deal of oral pain. She was refusing to eat and she would not let anyone near her mouth. Emily was referred to Exceptional Needs Dental Services (ENDS) for mobile dentistry after a traditional dental clinic was unable to accommodate her treatment needs. An ENDS provider, Dr. John Aspros, visited Emily at her care facility where he determined that he would need to treat her further at a hospital to help alleviate her pain.

Brenda says that since undergoing hospital dentistry Emily’s teeth look beautiful and that Emily has begun to allow care givers to brush her teeth, and she continues to regain the ability to eat. Now that Emily’s pain has diminished and her voice has returned she enjoys singing along to her favorite funk-rock tunes. Her smile remains visible as she proceeds through her recovery, which her mother believes will come full circle.

Brenda admits, “As a frantic Mom, I wouldn’t have known what to do about getting Emily’s teeth taken care of. I can’t imagine how I would feel if, when Emily’s voice returned, she asked me why I let her teeth rot. I don’t know what I would have done without your program.” Behind every patient is an incredibly thankful family. The care that ENDS and providers like Dr. Aspros give to patients across Oregon is vital to maintaining a positive quality of life. Thanks to the Medicaid dental benefits provided by Oregon Health Plan, ENDS is able to make a difference that radiates through our patients’ smiles and into the lives of the people that love them.