Maintaining good oral hygiene should be important to all individuals, which is why it is equally important to ensure that everyone has access to a dentist. Read on to learn more.
Maintaining good oral hygiene should be important to all individuals,
which is why it is equally important to ensure that everyone has access to a dentist. Because of the growing awareness of both of these needs, dentistry is becoming more specialized in order to effectively treat all who need them.
Dentists themselves are typically not hard to find, as there are practices in cities, towns and rural areas around the world. But for those who have special needs or care for someone that does, simply finding a dentist is only half the battle.
Special needs patients have the same need for dental care as anyone, but treating them effectively involves intricate knowledge of that individual’s condition and how to effectively manage dental work around it. This added burden can sometimes leave dentists less than qualified to treat such a patient without additional training and experience.
Because of this, dental associations around the world have begun to recognize special needs dentistry as an official speciality of the profession. Also known as special care dentistry, it is specifically defined as the dental treatment of individuals with an intellectual disability or who suffer from various other medical, physical and psychiatric problems that can make standard oral care more challenging.
Patients who fit into this category come from many various backgrounds and suffer from a wide range of conditions disorders and other unfortunate circumstances. This makes the training a dentist must undergo to specialize in treating them both extensive and intense.
Dentists who specialize in this area may treat individuals in hospitals or secured units, in nursing homes or other care facilities, or even those who are homeless. These individuals may suffer from an impairment or disability that was brought on by an accident or injury or may be stricken with a disease or disorder that is hereditary or acquired during their lifetime.
Dentists who hope to work in this area of the field typically pursue their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees as typical students would. Once they receive their doctoral degree, they then pursue an additional three years of training before they are eligible to be certified by national dentistry associations such as the American Board of Special Care Dentistry and the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons
Once officially licensed and able to practice, a dentist can work in a typical practice, in a hospital setting or in another type of clinical setting. He or she often works through referrals and has patients referred by other professionals, general practitioners or health care providers.
This type of care is often covered my most insurance plans and is typically considered standard care for most affected individuals. Insurance carriers typically feature a network of specialists that can operate as a primary point of oral care or in conjunction with another dentist.
While it may be necessary to see a specialist depending on the individual case, dentists who most often work with patients who do not need added care are not necessarily unqualified to work on those who do. It is best to discuss options with your doctor before deciding whether it is necessary or appropriate to visit a specialist.
