Awareness and Attitude of General and Specialist Dentists in Providing Oral Health-related Quality of Life for Children with Special Healthcare Needs

Abstract

Special healthcare needs children (SHCNC) requires specialized knowledge acquired by additional training, as well as increased awareness and accommodative measures on part of general practitioners and specialist dentists beyond what is considered routine. Most dentists face challenges in treating these children, due to lack of awareness and insufficient training regarding the management of such children in a dental operatory. Aim and objective This study was undertaken to investigate the awareness, practices, and hurdles faced by general dentists and dentists of various specialties in providing oral healthcare to children with special healthcare needs. Materials and methods The study was conducted in dental colleges and private dental clinics in and around Hyderabad. General dentists and dentists of various specialties were assessed through a structured questionnaire. Statistical analysis The data obtained were analyzed with a Chi-square test (SPSS Version - 20). Results The study showed that 80% of the dentists were willing to treat these children, but lack of sufficient training has been the major hurdle in the management of these children. Conclusion The training of dentists in taking care of children with special healthcare needs should be enhanced to provide comprehensive dental care to these children, thereby enabling them to realize their normal level of functioning and lengthening their life span. How to cite this article Suhasini K, Rajashekhar R, Reddy JS, et al. Awareness and Attitude of General and Specialist Dentists in Providing Oral Health-related Quality of Life for Children with Special Healthcare Needs. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(5):601–603.

Perceived Barriers to Treating Patients with Disabilities and Complex Health Needs Reported by Oral Health Professionals: A Scoping Review

“…Communication difficulties reported by clinicians were more in relation to obtaining information from patients 24,28,29,32,35,36 . In particular, clinicians reported this to limit their understanding of the patient's needs and hinder their ability to obtain informed consent or acquire further information that may be pertinent to treatment.…”

“…Despite these findings, it was encouraging that a high proportion of dentists expressed an interest in pursuing further education and additional training in SND if it was available 24,27,35 . Likewise, a qualitative study evaluating the efficacy of a support network in Australia has shown that ongoing support from experienced SND specialists helped improve the perceived ability of general dentists to treat these individuals 36 . This receptiveness indicates the potential for introducing greater training in SND in undergraduate programs, continued professional development programs, and other support networks as potential strategies to address clinician-related barriers.…”

“…Financial limitations and inadequate insurance coverage were also considered major barriers in some settings 36,37 . While clinicians reported a lack…”

“…Accessibility to the dental clinic was reported as the most common environment-related barrier 22,24,27,29,31,[34][35][36] . In particular, clinicians reported their clinics to lack accessibility for people with disability due to their location, inadequate accessible parking, and inappropriate design preventing navigation by wheelchairs into buildings through elevators or due to inadequate space in surgeries 31,32,35 .…”

“…In cases where specialist services were available, this prompted clinicians to refer patients with disabilities and special health care needs as they felt those specialised services may have greater flexibility to provide the type of care required 23,32 . Specific examples that were provided in qualitative studies included understaffing, inadequate training of dental assistants, a lack of support from clerical and administrative staff, waiting lists, policies, insufficient funding, lack of flexibility about appointment times and recall frequency, and productivity pressures 22,23,27,28,30,32,35,36 . These findings were genuinely concerning given the basic principles about equity of access to healthcare to reduce such barriers and discrimination outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disability almost two decades ago 14 .…”