title: Access to care for people with special needs: role of alternative providers and practice settings.
abstract: Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General released in 2000 was the first-ever surgeon general's report on the status of oral health in the United States. It clearly outlined a growing set of challenges in such areas as reducing oral health disparities, improving access to oral and dental care, and prevention of common dental diseases. Findings revealed that 75 percent of dental disease is found in 25 percent of the population. California's children have twice as much untreated decay as their national counterparts. For children with special health care needs seeing a dentist, the data is sparse but a survey of general dentists conducted in 2001 showed that only 10 percent see these children often or very often.
authors.affiliation: University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA.
authors.forename: Christine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002140:California; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D003727:Dental Auxiliaries / Q000193:education; D019140:Dental Care for Children; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000193:education; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011364:Professional Practice; D016730:Program Development; D012571:School Dentistry; D014481:United States