Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (CMD) is an inherited disease that atrophies skeletal muscles and results in poor development of motor skills and other modes of movement. While dental hygienists obviously don’t treat CMD, they will nevertheless likely encounter patients who live with the disorder and consequently have special requirements in the dental chair.

Matty Manley and Megan Meyer are the hosts of the Two Rare Mama Bears podcast, where they discuss CMD in all its forms, explore the difficulties faced by those who live with it, and speak to a variety of experts and policy-makers on the subject. Matty and Megan are themselves both mothers to children affected with congenital muscular dystrophy and also lead the CMD advocacy team.

In this episode, Megan and Matty discuss their own highs and lows raising children who live with CMD, help us understand just how convoluted the diagnosis process can be, and explain how our offices and techniques should aim to accommodate for patients with CMD.

 

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

Interview starts: 8:44

- How Megan and Matty found common ground and ended up launching the Two Rare Mama Bears podcast.

- Their method for planning the podcast, coming up with episode ideas, and seeking out guests.

- Defining muscular dystrophy and its effects on those who live with it.

- What specialized difficulties do patients with CMD experience when receiving dental and/or orthodontic treatment?

- Matty and Megan explain just how complicated and protracted a process it was for them to confirm their children’s CMD diagnoses.

- How Megan and her family had to become “medical refugees” to get better medical care.

- Megan and Matty’s experiences dealing with people insensitive to their children’s conditions and what terminology dental professionals should use with regards to those affected by CMD.

- What dental offices can do to be more accommodating to those living with CMD.

- What are the different subtypes of muscular dystrophy?

 

QUOTES:

“‘Failure is not an option’ came from us saying ‘Okay, we have no idea what we’re doing, but we have to make it work’.”

“We had one of the shortest diagnostic journeys—and it took us two years.”

“Dental care might be further down on their priority list because they’re literally trying to stay alive.”

LINKS:

Cure CMD homepage - https://www.curecmd.org/

Two Rare Mama Bears podcast - https://www.curecmd.org/podcast

 

Thank you to Paradise Dental Technologies aka PDT for providing sponsorship for this episode!

THIS EPISODE COUNTS FOR CE! - but read the disclaimer below as it might not count for your state.

Go here to take the test and get your CE credit!

Be sure to thank the sponsor for this episode by heading over to www.PDTDental.com and picking up a new instrument or telling them thank you in person at one of the conferences!

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