Key Points
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The majority of people with a mild or moderate disability or medical condition can and should be treated in general dental practice.
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Recent legislation, particularly the Disability Equality Duty, impacts on the responsibility of the dental team to ensure that disabled people are treated equally.
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There are many practical ways of facilitating access for the special care patient.
Abstract
This first article in the series will define special care dentistry, who requires it and why? It considers recent legislation and its impact on the primary care practitioner, including reasonable adjustments to the way in which dental care is delivered. It offers practical tips to encourage access to the dental practice and transfer to the dental chair and advice on techniques to aid access to the oral cavity for patients with a range of impairments.
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The illustrative material used in Figures 2, 3 and 4 is credited to http://www.johnbirdsall.co.uk.
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Dougall, A., Fiske, J. Access to special care dentistry, part 1. Access. Br Dent J 204, 605–616 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.457
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.457
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