A GROUP of Wee County dentists are providing staff with access to a specialist initiative to reinforce their commitment to people living with dementia.

Alva Dental Practice and Dollar Dental Care and Implant Centre are supporting Alzheimer Scotland during Dementia Awareness Week in a bid to raise awareness.

A number of clinical and support staff at the practices are “dementia friends” trained through an official partnership with Alzheimer Scotland.

The on-site teams have received specialist training and information about dementia and the varying ways it can affect an individual.

Measures that each practice has implemented to support people living with dementia 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 and encouraging self-directed care and decision making.

Associate dentist Alan McKinnon, of Alva Dental Practice, said: “As part of our commitment to providing sector-leading care at community level, we have partnered with Alzheimer Scotland to ensure all of our patient-facing team members are ‘dementia friends’.

“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.”

Alva Dental Practice and Dollar Dental Care and Implant Centre are part of the Clyde Munro Group.

Fiona Wood, chief operations officer at Clyde Munro, added: “Across the Clyde Munro Group, we have over 1,000 people who are 'dementia friends'.

“It’s imperative to the protection of accessible oral healthcare that we are appropriately trained at every local practice to support our patients living with dementia – and their families – in accessing dental care.

“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, at a local level, and being 'dementia friends' allows us to do this.”