Introduction to special care dentistry
As a special care dentist you will provide treatment for adolescents and adults with disabilities or impairments which may include one or more of the following:
- Physical disability
- Cognitive impairment
- Learning disability
- Medical complexity
- Social impairment, such as homelessness
- Sensory disability
- Mental health issues
- Emotional impairment, such as dental phobia.
While patients with additional needs are treated across all fields of dentistry, but most are managed by the Community Dental Services (CDS) or Hospital Dental Services (HDS) which is where special care dentists primarily work.
Your week managing patients with additional needs can be hugely varied, from providing domiciliary care and sedation to working under general anaesthesia. These patients often require longer appointment times to address their needs and anxiety and may need specialised equipment like wheelchair recliners or hoist transfers.
When working in the CDS, you will typically be a salaried community, or senior dental officer. There are also training posts, such as StR, DCT, and DFT that can be based or partially based in the CDS.
Some patients with additional needs can be treated in dental practices with the proper support and risk assessment, such as phobic patients who need sedation. Not all hospitals have a special care department, and in some dental hospitals, special care is integrated with other dental specialties.