North Texas Dentistry Special Issue 2020 NTD SP ISSUE 2020 DE | Page 12

P R O F I L E
How did you decide to start a practice that was Deaf friendly?
Indian Creek Dental
R. Shad Hattaway, DDS, FAGD
Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry
1016 E. Hebron Pkwy. #170
Carrollton, Texas 75010
Our decision to start a practice that focused on providing a comfortable resource for
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community started with an experience I had while I was
volunteering for Dental Health for Arlington. A patient and his wife came in who were
both deaf. The husband who I was working on was profoundly deaf and his wife was hard
of hearing. She communicated mainly through reading lips, which is a difficult task when
we wear masks for almost everything we do. She was his primary interpreter. At the time,
my fiancée, had taught me a few signs in American Sign Language (ASL). I signed the few
things I knew with him and he immediately broke down crying. He had never had a doctor
try to communicate with him in his language. So many times, when there are deaf patients
in a healthcare setting, we assume that everything can be just written down. Written language
is not always the most effective form of communication with patients in the Deaf
community. I quickly saw the need for a dental office that was committed to providing
an environment that made it a focus to properly communicate with patients from the
Deaf community. Every week our staff practices basic ASL and we take classes to better
help us understand what is helpful for us to do to be a friendly and welcoming dental
practice. In addition to the exams and care we provide, we also arrange for an interpreter
to be present at their appointments with specialists we work with.
What is key to the success of your practice?
A key point with the success in our practice is constant education. Every year, I personally
take about 250 hours of CE in addition to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing classes. We also
have weekly training sessions to ensure continuity in the message of the care that we
deliver. We want everyone on the same page when it comes to the message we portray
to our patients. This is a very heavy task to complete. We continue to train every week
with our long-term focus in mind.
How do you find time to volunteer in the community?
FOR MORE INFORMATION
[phone]
www.indiancreekdental.com
Very simply put, I don’t find time, I make time to volunteer. I feel as a dentist I have been
given a great opportunity to impact the community in which I treat patients. I feel that if
every provider makes community volunteering a priority, we can continue to make a positive
impact in the oral health of our community as professionals. With my background
being heavily focused in dentistry, I often times find myself turning down volunteer
opportunities because I feel my time is better spent in my area of specialization.
12
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com