Groups of special needs individuals:
- Learning disabilities, autism (ASD), ADHD, Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, sensory processing difficulties
- Mental impairments: dementia, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson’s disease, depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorders, schizophrenia
- Physical disabilities: multiple sclerosis, impairments due to cerebrovascular episode, paraplegia, neuromotor problems,
- Medically compromised individuals with: cardiovascular diseases (angina, heart conditions, hypertension, heart transplant, DVT, TIA), diabetes, COPD, immuncompromised patients (on steroids, transplants, HIV positive patients), patients receiving a long-term pharmacotherapy (eg. new generation oral anticoagulants), polytherapy, terminal diseases, kidney/liver dysfunctions, on dialysis, with diagnosed cancer, receiving chemotherapy, receiving radiotherapy, who recently finished chemotherapy/radiotherapy cycles, haematological conditions: leukemia, thrombocytopoenia, haemophilia, von Willebrant disease, lymphomas, neutropoenia, anaemia
- combination of health problems mentioned above
- Social impairments: deprivation, homeless
Why we need to look after the priority groups of patients ?
- Responsibility as a profession
- Professional duties towards vulnerable patients
- Rewarding service
- Increased demographic needs and changes
- Holistic approach beyond a routine tasks
- Tend to receive less oral care
- Common problems: poor oral health, poor health outcomes
- May have oral problems, that can affect systemic health
- May have general health problems, that can affect oral health
- More difficult access to dental care than general population
Why a ‘challenge’ ?
- Communication issue
- Extended and special treatment needs
- Capacity to valid consent
- Physical intervention justification
- Demographic change, increased life expectancy
- Holistic approach, beyond routine tasks
- Complex problems with communication, consent, access, safety, safeguarding, etc.