The General Practitioner and Dental Hygienist's Role in Improving Access to Care for Individuals with "Special Oral Healthcare Needs"

Today, the most rapidly growing segment of the population are those that live with a disability. For many individuals and/or their caregivers, oral health is easy to achieve as they have access to a dental health professional who care and can manage their oral health needs. For most individuals (and/or their caregivers) who live with one or many disabilities care is difficult to find. This may be a family with a member experiencing dementia, it may be an individual with cerebral palsy with limited mobility, it may be an individual who suffered a spinal cord injury, or an individual who with autistic spectrum disorder... treated for decades by a pediatric dentist but today at age 20 or 25 can no longer be treated by their beloved caregiver. These individuals, and their caregivers (whether for a child or a parent), live in our communities, are our children, are our parents! Every individual routinely deserves the excellent oral healthcare delivered by us, as dentists and hygienists.