When thinking of a person who might need to see a specialist in Special Needs Dentistry, people will automatically think of a person with intellectual disability, or physical disability. The field of SND is much broader. Each and every one of you may have a different level of special needs during different phases of your life. An unexpected cancer diagnosis, whereby the disease itself, or its related treatment may have side effects with dental implications. For a person at the end stage of their life complicated by multiple medical conditions, a specialist in SND can be consulted to develop a safe dental care plan in a palliative care setting. People with severe mental illness or psychiatric conditions or those with severe phobias may benefit from the expertise of a specialist in SND. You may have a traumatic past, whereby a trauma-informed care approach may be necessary so that you feel comfortable in the dental environment. A specialist in SND is trained to advocate for their patients and is skilled at delivering dental care after contextualising each patient’s medical factors and special needs.
The Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons defines Special Needs Dentistry as the field that ;
“Supports the oral health care needs of people with an intellectual disability, medical, physical or psychiatric conditions that require special methods or techniques to prevent or treat oral health problems, or where such conditions necessitate special dental treatment plans.”
Here at Dr Candy SND, I like to view Special Needs Dentistry in its 3 components:
