Williams Julie J, Spangler Craig C, Yusaf Nisha K
General Practice Resident, General Practice Residency, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Pontiac, Michigan.
Program Director, General Practice Residency, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Pontiac, Michigan.
Spec Care Dentist. 2015 Jul-Aug;35(4):190-6. doi: 10.1111/scd.12110. Epub 2015 Apr 19.
The number of adults with developmental and acquired disabilities is growing and there are not enough general dentists treating special needs patients to meet the increased demand. In Oakland County, there are 140,160 persons registered with a developmental or acquired disability and only 36 dentists in the county that are indicated for treating patients with special needs.
A survey was sent to 385 students, ages 3 to 26, at six special education schools and developmental centers in Oakland County. There were 117 responses.
The most difficult barrier to oral healthcare that adult patients with special needs, encounter is finding a dentist willing to treat these complex patients. 20% of the surveyed population currently does not have a dentist. There is a correlation between decreased dental access and lower median income.
There is a significant need for improving special care dentistry training and increasing the number of general dentists that are able and willing to treat adults with special needs. Adequate resources and a database can help caregivers, parents, and medical professionals locate dentists who treat special needs patients. Increased experience for general dentists through residency training and continuing education courses will help to increase confidence and knowledge in practice special care dentistry.
患有发育性和后天性残疾的成年人数量不断增加，而能够治疗特殊需求患者的普通牙医数量不足以满足日益增长的需求。在奥克兰县，有140,160人登记患有发育性或后天性残疾，而该县仅有36名牙医被指定治疗有特殊需求的患者。
对奥克兰县六所特殊教育学校和发育中心的385名3至26岁的学生进行了一项调查。共收到117份回复。
有特殊需求的成年患者在口腔医疗保健方面遇到的最困难障碍是找到愿意治疗这些复杂患者的牙医。20%的被调查人群目前没有牙医。获得牙科护理的机会减少与收入中位数较低之间存在关联。
迫切需要改进特殊护理牙科培训，并增加有能力且愿意治疗有特殊需求成年人的普通牙医数量。充足的资源和数据库可以帮助护理人员、家长和医疗专业人员找到治疗特殊需求患者的牙医。通过住院医师培训和继续教育课程增加普通牙医的经验，将有助于增强他们在实践特殊护理牙科方面的信心和知识。
