Affiliation:
1. Dublin Dental University Hospital Trinity College Dublin Dublin Ireland
Abstract
AbstractEducation in Special Care Dentistry (SCD) at undergraduate and postgraduate levels is often limited when compared with other dental specialities, even though dental professionals encounter people with Special Healthcare Needs (SHCNs) on a very regular basis. This literature review examined whether education at undergraduate and postgraduate level increases dental students’ and professionals’ confidence in managing a patient with SHCN. It also appraised whether there was a correlation between increased practitioner confidence and increased quality of care for people with SHCN. This review also examined educational efforts worldwide, and whether there is an increased emphasis on providing education in SCD to dental students. It was found that those who received high‐quality practical and theoretical education on how to properly manage patients with SHCN reported having higher levels of confidence than those who did not. People also reported being far more likely to employ the proper behavior management techniques and were more likely to treat people with SHCN regularly. There has been an increased emphasis on providing education in SCD worldwide in recent years, but a number of barriers still exist to providing complete education in the area.
Reference30 articles.
1. Defining the population requiring special care dentistry using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health‐a personal view;Faulks D;J Disabil Oral Health,2006
2. Guidance for the core content of a Curriculum in Special Care Dentistry at the undergraduate level
3. Dublin Dental University Hospital Special Care Dentistry. Available from Accessed 12 November 2021 https://www.dentalhospital.ie/about/clinical‐academic‐divisions‐and‐hospital‐departments/division‐of‐public‐and‐child‐dental‐health/special‐care‐dentistry
4. Special care dentistry