Special needs dentistry
Encyclopedia
Special needs dentistry, also known as special care dentistry, is a specialty 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)).
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 home
s, 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.
(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 UK.
UK 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 UK 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.
Special needs dentists require an extra three years of postgraduate training after attaining their dental degree
Doctor of Dental Surgery
There are a number of first professional degrees in dentistry offered by schools in various countries around the world. These include the following:* Doctor of Dental Surgery * Doctor of Dental Medicine * Bachelor of Dentistry...
. They are then eligible for Board Certification
Board certification
Board certification is the process by which a physician , dentist , or podiatrist in the United States demonstrates through either written, practical, and/or simulator based testing, a mastery of the basic knowledge and skills that define an area of medical specialization...
by the American Board of Special Care Dentistry (Diplomate ABSCD) or Fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons
Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons
The Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons or RACDS is a professional college established in 1965 that administers Fellowship Exams for both general and specialist dental practitioners in the Australasian region...
(FRACDS (SND)).
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 home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
s, 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 the UK
Special Care Dentistry (SCD) is the thirteenth and most recent dental specialty to be approved by the UK General Dental CouncilGeneral Dental Council
The General Dental Council is a United Kingdom organisation which regulates all dental professionals in the country. Established in 1956 by an amendment to the Dentists Act 1948, now updated in the Dentists Act 1984, it keeps an up-to-date register of all qualified dentists and other dental care...
(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 UK.
UK 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 UK 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
Royal College of Surgeons of England
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an independent professional body and registered charity committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients, regulating surgery, including dentistry, in England and Wales...
, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is an organisation dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and advancement in surgical practice, through its interest in education, training and examinations, its liaison with external medical bodies and representation of the modern surgical workforce...
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.
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