Clinical and Prevention Information Resources

Where can information be found on the treatment of patients with disabilities or other special health care needs?

The AAPD defines persons with special health care needs as individuals who “have a physical, developmental, mental, sensory, behavioral, cognitive, or emotional impairment or limiting condition that requires medical management, health care intervention, and/or use of specialized services or programs. The condition may be developmental or acquired and may cause limitations in performing daily self-maintenance activities or substantial limitations in a major life activity. Health care for special needs patients is beyond that considered routine and requires specialized knowledge, increased awareness and attention, and accommodation.

Examples of special health care needs include but are not limited to the following:

Numerous sources of information about the treatment of individuals with special health care needs are available, both in general and about specific conditions. Several of these resources are listed below:

• University of Florida: Oral Care for Persons with Disabilities
• Dr. Paul Burtner's (University of Florida) collection of resources on special care dentistry
  
• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's Guideline on Management of Dental Patients with Special Health Care Needs
  
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
  • Autism
  • Special Needs
    
• National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
  • Publications on Children with Special Health Care Needs
  • Distance learning for continuing education credit: Special Care: An Oral Health Professional's Guide to Serving Young Children with Special Health Care Needs
• Special Care Dentistry Association