British Sign Language and its Role in Dentistry

Abstract

Hearing impairments affect up to 1.57 billion individuals globally, and 11 million people within the UK. Worldwide, 60% of hearing loss in children is due to preventable causes. Types of hearing loss vary in their aetiology and severity; however, all can negatively affect an individual's quality of life. The general health of those within the deaf population has been shown to be poorer than that of the general population, with under-diagnosis and under-treatment of chronic conditions putting individuals at risk of preventable ill-health. Deaf individuals experience greater problems in accessing healthcare, with a lack of British Sign Language (BSL), deafness awareness training and other communication aids being identified as barriers in such settings. With respect to dental health, deafness can result in poorer oral hygiene and greater dental caries. Communication issues faced at the dentist include being called from the waiting room, communicating with the dental team, mask wearing and background noise in the surgery. British Sign Language is a visual and spatial language, using movements of the hands, body, face and head. With its own grammar, syntax, idioms and regional variations, it is recognized as an official language in England, Wales and Scotland. This article provides a general background on hearing loss, its influence on general and dental health, an introduction to BSL, and hopes to encourage the general dental practitioner to seek further training in BSL. CPD/Clinical Relevance: To aid in effective communication with patients who have hearing loss, a knowledge of BSL would be helpful.