No abstract

No abstract

A B S T R A C TMany people with special needs (PSN) have difficulty having good oral health or accessing oral health services because of a disability or medical condition. The number of people with these conditions living in community settings and needing oral health services is increasing dramatically due to advances in medical care, deinstitutionalization, and changing societal values. Many of these individuals require additional supports beyond local anesthesia in order to receive dental treatment services. The purpose of this consensus statement is to focus on the decision-making process for choosing a method of treatment or a combination of methods for facilitating dental treatment for these individuals. These guidelines are intended to assist oral health professionals and other interested parties in planning and carrying out oral health treatment for PSN. Considerations for planning treatment and considerations for each of several alternative modalities are listed. Also discussed are considerations for the use of combinations of modalities and considerations for the repeated or frequent use of these modalities. Finally, the need to advocate for adequate education and reimbursement for the full range of support alternatives is addressed. The Special Care Dentistry Association (SCDA) is dedicated to improving oral health and well being of PSN. The SCDA hopes that these guidelines can help oral health professionals and other interested individuals and groups to work together to ensure that PSN can achieve a "lifetime of oral health."

Dental fears and phobias trouble patients with and without special needs, and they are a problem for dentists, as well. This article reviews current research and literature related to methods used to alleviate dental fear and concludes that while some important psychological methods are available, much work is left to be done in this area. It is clear that there is an important role for psychological and behavioral input to the dentist–patient interaction. While dental phobia represents a class of special needs itself, patients with other important disabilities (e.g., physical or cognitive impairments) are sometimes comorbidly phobic, a condition often missed or misdiagnosed by treating practitioners. Office‐based techniques that focus on relaxation, breathing, imagery, hypnosis, and effective use of operatory language are described. The methods advocated here can be used with patients having mild or moderate cognitive impairments. Readings are recommended for the dentist or auxiliary practitioner interested in learning these techniques.

No abstract