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A day in the life of… A Special Care Dentist

BDJ Student (2024)Cite this article

The General Dental Council (GDC) defines special care dentistry (SCD) as the improvement of the oral health of individuals and groups in society who have a physical, sensory, intellectual, mental, medical, emotional, or social impairment or disability, or a combination of these factors.1 SCD focusses on the delivery of dental care to adults and adolescents at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, and it is provided in various settings, including primary care, community clinics, and hospital environments.2 Special care is within the scope of the primary care dental team, with all NHS services mandated to make reasonable adjustments for patients under the Equality Act 2010.3 In more complex cases beyond the scope of a general dental practitioner a referral to special care specialists and consultants may be necessary.

While at university, I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and am aware first-hand of some of the challenges disabled people face. The International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (ICD) identifies two essential features of ASD: The persistent inability to initiate and sustain reciprocal social interaction and communication and a range of restricted, repetitive, and inflexible patterns of behaviour, interests or activities that are clearly atypical or excessive for the individual's age and cultural context.4 Communication was, and still is, challenging for me, and participating in dentistry away from the comfort of the dental school, with new colleagues and unfamiliar patients, provided me with an opportunity to develop my communication skills in addition to providing an insight into the challenges clinicians face in treating disabled patients.

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References

  1. General Dental Council. Speciality Training Curriculum Special Care Dentistry. 2012.

  2. NHS England. Special care dentistry: clinical standard. 2022.

  3. Equalities and Human Rights Comission. Equality Act 2010: guidance. Available online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance. (accessed August 2024).

  4. World Health Organisation. International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (11th ed.). 2019.

  5. Office for National Statistics. Disability, England and Wales: Census 2021. 2023. Available online at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandwellbeing/bulletins/disabilityenglandandwales/census2021. (accessed August 2024).

  6. General Dental Council. Standards for the Dental Team. 2013. Available online at: https://standards.gdc-uk.org/pages/principle1/principle1.aspx. (accessed August 2024).

  7. Public Health England. Oral care and people with learning disabilities. 2019. Available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oral-care-and-people-with-learning-disabilities/oral-care-and-people-with-learning-disabilities#oral-health-of-people-with-learning-disabilities. (accessed August 2024).

  8. Cumella S, Ransford N, Lyons J, Burnham H. Needs for oral care among people with intellectual disability not in contact with Community Dental Services. J Intellect Disabil Res 2000; 44: 45-52.

  9. NHS England. Clinical standards for dental anxiety management. Available online at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/clinical-guide-for-dental-anxiety-management/. (accessed August 2024).

  10. Uziel N, Meyerson J, Winocur E, Nabriski O, Eli I. Management of the Dentally Anxious Patient: The Dentist's Perspective. Oral Health Prev Dent 2019; 17.

  11. Dougall A, Fiske J. Access to special care dentistry, part 2. Communication. Br Dent J 2008; 205: 11-21.

  12. Dougall A, Fiske J. Access to special care dentistry, part 3. Consent and capacity. Br Dent J 2008; 205: 71-81.

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  1. Dental Foundation Trainee, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Peter Whitehouse

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  1. Peter Whitehouse
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Correspondence to Peter Whitehouse.

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Whitehouse, P. A day in the life of… A Special Care Dentist. BDJ Student (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41406-024-1452-1

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