There are a number of diseases and conditions that prevent the sufferer from adequately opening the mouth. The danger of inanition, malnutrition, chronic periodontal disease, caries, and abscessed teeth are…
People with disabilities and other special needs present unique challenges for oral health professionals in planning and carrying out dental treatment. This article presents a schema for planning dental treatment…
More than 50 million individuals in the United States with developmental disabilities, complex medical problems, significant physical limitations, and a vast array of other conditions considered under the rubric of…
Access to oral health care for persons with special health care needs is quite limited. Psychologic, economic, and physical barriers exist that prevent these patients, who may have complex medical…
Disparities remain among the United States population with regard to who receives dental treatment. This article assesses current programs designed to provide dental insurance coverage. This assessment examines person-level use…
The executive and legislative branches of state government have broad authority that provides the underpinning for the dental health care system. This article describes four principal areas in which policy…
Dental coverage provides a means to obtain oral care, which is an important component of overall health. This article discusses the common forms of dental health plans, the services usually…
Social work programs in dental schools and dental clinics have been operated successfully since the 1940s, and have been documented as contributing to patients’ access to care and to dental…
Teledentistry is an exciting new area of dentistry that fuses electronic health records, telecommunications technology, digital imaging, and the Internet to link health providers in rural or remote communities. For…
Improving access to oral health care requires an understanding of the social, cultural, political, financial, and manpower factors that influence access. Armed with this knowledge, individuals and organizations desiring to…
