Special care dentistry: a new specialty in Brazil.

In 2001, the Brazilian Dental Council established a new specialty: Special Care Dentistry (SCD). This decision was based on the increase of both the number of people with disabilities and their demand for dental treatment. The aim of this study was to present the current status of SCD in Brazil. Data was obtained through online searches from the Brazilian Dental Council and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. There are 11 SCD training programs which have the potential to produce 132 new specialists every 18 months. There are currently 292 specialists in SCD unevenly distributed throughout the country. The ratio of specialists to the number of people with disabilities was 1:82,247. At the undergraduate level, this new specialty was not included in most dental schools in Brazil. Special Care Dentistry should be included in the undergraduate curriculum of dental schools in Brazil. Master's and PhD postgraduate degree courses should be developed to produce more teachers, consultants, and researchers in this field.