Dental treatment guidelines for use of restraints within the nine Louisiana developmental centers. Louisiana State...

There are approximatively 2000 mentally retarded or developmentally disabled (MR/DD) individuals in Louisiana's nine developmental centers (LDC). Two-thirds resist the delivery of preventive and clinical dental services. Therefore, for these patients to receive quality, comprehensive dental care, some form of restraint is necessary. Physical holds, mechanical and/or chemical restraints allow caregivers and dental professionals to provide medical/dental services. However, prior to the use of restraint, a clear understanding and acquisition of informed consent are needed. The dentist, developmental center and its administration are responsible for developing a plan to obtain informed consent and to express the importance of restraint to each resident's guardian. This article defines the types of restraint based upon resistance encountered and defines informed consent according to the Louisiana Medical Consent Law.