College of Dental Medicine Lasting Impressions Magazine

14 © NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY of human trafficking within and outside of NSU. The program can provide direct services in dentistry and optometry, as well as up to a year of mental health services, all at no cost. CDM, CREATE COLLABORATE CREATE treatments are offered at the CDM’s North Miami Beach clinic because it already serves special-needs patients. “The dentists there are familiar with treating sensi- tive patients,” said Diane E. Ede-Nichols, D.M.D., M.H.L., M.P.H., professor and chair of community and public health sciences at the CDM. Adel Khatib, D.D.S., AEGD program director and assist- ant professor of community and public health sciences in the CDM, said Kent and Gaillard-Kenney initially drew in the CDM by holding a session about raising awareness of the human trafficking problem. “They discussed what the survi- vors went through,” he said. “The session focused on how to approach the survivors and how to treat them.” Additionally, before patient treatment began, Gaillard-Kenney educated everyone from the front-desk employees to the residents and faculty members on what constitutes human trafficking, the effects of abuse, and trauma-informed care. “Victims may not be very cooperative or may be triggered by something,” Gaillard-Kenney said. “We have a patient who we suspect is disassociating. She seems to be falling asleep in the chair, but she’s not really asleep—she’s dealing with the trauma. We make sure the providers know these are our patients and to be sensitive.” Typical dental problems survivors have include missing teeth, gum disease, gingivitis, cavities, malnutrition issues, and diseases of the mouth from sexually transmitted diseases, said Kent. She added that some have gone with- out dental care for decades or never had it. Survivors are transported to the North Miami Beach clinic by victim advocates to ensure someone is with the survivors through the check-in procedure. The victim advocates also provide comfort against anxiety regard- ing dental work and take the patients home after an extensive procedure. Ede-Nichols noted that, while the survivors get the same dental services as any other patient, “the patient management requires a little bit more effort and energy to make the patients feel comfortable, to explain what they’re doing, and to try to alleviate some of their fears and establish trust,” she said. “Some of the patients’ back stories are complicated, so we address the dental issues and the patients in a way that is respectful of them,” Khatib said. In one case, the rubber dam used for isolation of the teeth triggered an emotional response in a patient, reminding him of a time his mouth was covered during a traumatic event. “The patient started to panic, so we modified our treatment and our approach,” he added. Top:Sandorf Montero Contis, left,who will be an AEGD resident next year,and Adel Khatib, right,put a patient at ease before beginning treatment at the North Miami Beach clinic. Bottom:Sandrine Gaillard-Kenney, left,and Brianna Black Kent are shown at the headquarters of the Coalition for Research and Education Against Trafficking and Exploitation (CREATE).