Special needs dentistry

Special needs dentistry, also known as special care dentistry, is a speciality of dentistry concerned with the oral health of people who have intellectual disability, or who are affected by other medical, physical, or psychiatric issues.

Special needs dentists require an extra three years of postgraduate training after attaining their dental degree. They are then eligible for Board Certification by the American Board of Special Care Dentistry (Diplomate ABSCD) or Fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (FRACDS (SND)).

The oral health therapist have incorporated studies to allow for their scope of practice to cover working with people with special needs. They may accompany a dentist with clinic or domiciliary environments to aid in education, disease control and maintenance of patients with special needs.

Patients who require special needs dentistry form a diverse group, and may be found living at home, in hospital, in secure units, in residential or nursing homes, or they may be homeless or vulnerably housed. Their additional needs may be due directly to their impairment or disability, or to some aspect of their medical history that affects their oral health, or because their social, environmental or cultural context disables them with reference to their oral health.

In Australia

The Australian Dental Council recognized the specialty of Special Needs Dentistry in November 2003.

In the United Kingdom

Special Care Dentistry (SCD) is the thirteenth and most recent dental speciality to be approved by the United Kingdom General Dental Council (GDC). To date, there are 73 specialists on the GDC specialist list. NHS consultant posts in Special Care Dentistry have been set up in some areas of the United Kingdom.

United Kingdom specialists in SCD, and dentists with a special interest in SCD, may work in NHS or private general practice, NHS community/salaried dental services or hospital dental services. People with impairments or disabilities who require Special Care Dentistry may seek a special care dentist by contacting their local healthcare provider (e.g. Primary Care Trust) or by obtaining a referral from, for example, their general medical or dental practitioner. Most SCD services have referral criteria which specify which groups of people they will accept for dental treatment.

Specialist training programmes are currently being introduced across the United Kingdom to provide training in SCD, leading to admission onto the GDC specialist list. Postgraduate qualifications in SCD are available from institutions such as the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and King’s College London Dental Institute. There are also post-qualification courses available in SCD for Dental Care Professionals such as dental nurses, hygienists and therapists.

Oral Health Therapist Scope of Practice

An oral health therapist may aid in performing daily self-maintenance activities for patients who have substantial physical or cognitive limitations, which may hinder their success in major life activities.

External links

• All Wales Special Interest Group: Special Oral Healthcare
• Australian Society of Special Care in Dentistry
• British Society for Disability and Oral Health
• British Society of Gerodontology
• 'Dentistry for Persons with Special Needs' (Ettinger et al, JDE 2004)
• Dublin Dental School & Hospital - Special Care Dentistry
• King's College London - MSc in Special Care and Sedation
• Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons - SND training program
• Royal College of Surgeons of England - Diploma in Special Care Dentistry
• Special care dentistry association (USA)
• Special care residency at the University of Sydney
• Special needs residency at the University of Melbourne