We’re committed to embracing cultural competency to help pediatric patients receive care that is not only effective, but also deeply respectful of their diverse backgrounds. By recognizing the unique needs of your patients, you can help elevate the patient experience and improve outcomes.
Nurturing smiles through cultural competency
The following methods are some ways we’re helping practices achieve inclusive dental care:
- Child-friendly communication: Understanding the linguistic preferences of pediatric patients and their families allows us to tailor our communication. This helps ensure that instructions and information are presented in a way that resonates with each child.
- Family-centered care: Recognizing the significance of family in pediatric care, RIte Smiles embraces family-centered practices. By involving parents and caregivers in a culturally sensitive manner, we strengthen the support system for each child’s oral health journey.
How you can help
The following methods are some strategies we recommend your practice could implement to help with cultural competency within pediatric dental care:
- Fun and educational materials: Develop educational materials that are not only informative, but also fun and engaging
- Language assistance services: Implement language assistance services tailored for families, such as child-friendly interpreters or translated materials, to help ensure that language doesn’t hinder effective communication
- Pediatric cultural competency training: Provide ongoing training for your pediatric dental team, focusing on cultural competency in pediatric dentistry
By embracing cultural competency, you can help make sure that pediatric dental services resonate with the diverse backgrounds of Rhode Island’s Medicaid-covered children.