Dental staff in Fife sign up to become dementia friends in specialist initiative

Nanodent Dental Practice in Glenrothes, Abbey Orthodontics in Dunfermline and Banbeath Dental Practice in Leven are supporting Alzheimer Scotland by becoming Dementia Friends, in its bid to raise awareness of the disease and to encourage Scotland to ‘see the person behind the diagnosis.’ It comes as part of Dementia Awareness Week.

A number of clinical and support staff at the practices are dementia friends trained through an official partnership with Alzheimer Scotland. The on-site team has received specialist training and information about dementia and the varying ways it can affect an individual.

Measures that each practice has implemented include reassuring patients and making them comfortable within the practice, communicating in an accessible, jargon-free way, encouraging family members to attend appointments if preferable.

Tarig Marzoug, associate dentist, said: “From the moment an appointment is required, through to the dental care they receive, communication with the patient and everything in between – we have a range of considerations that we take in to account to ensure that patient is cared for appropriately.”

Nanodent Dental Practice in Glenrothes, Abbey Orthodontics in Dunfermline and Banbeath Dental Practice in Leven are part of the Clyde Munro Group.

Fiona Wood, chief operations officer, said: “We are incredibly proud of the partnership we have with Alzheimer Scotland and believe our role extends beyond the walls of our practices. We want to support people in their communities, and being Dementia Friends allows us to do this.”