Providing dental care for special patients: tips for the general dentist.

BACKGROUND: Nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population has some type of disability, with approximately 12 percent of the population considered to have severe disabilities. The provision of dental care to such patients requires consideration beyond routine approaches. OVERVIEW: This article discusses techniques, such as establishing a relaxing treatment environment, that can be used to accommodate special-needs patients in the general dental practice. It provides background information on the current special-needs population in the United States, and it describes the oral care approaches used in a residential care facility vs. a general dental practice. The article concludes with tips for integrating this special patient population into a general dental practice. CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: As the U.S. population with special needs increases, more general dentists are likely to find that such patients require their services. While the prospect of accommodating the needs of patients with disabilities may seem daunting initially, such treatment actually can be incorporated into a general dental practice easily. The practitioner treating patients with disabilities likely will find that he or she needs special equipment less than compassion and tolerance.