Would you believe that about 1-in-5 U.S. children has a disability?
A review of a series of federation reports documents the numbers of youngsters with a variety of special health care needs who are residents in our communities and are dependent upon local dentists for needed services. The increased costs for health care and complexities of access to this care are emphasized. While dental schools have introduced changes in their curricula to improve the preparation of new graduates to provide services for patients with special health care needs, the challenge is to provide current practitioners with programs to ensure the treatment of youngsters (and the not so young) with disabilities.
Department of General Dentistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA. hwaldman@stonybrook.edu
H Barry
HB
Waldman
Allen
A
Wong
Steven P
SP
Perlman
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004497:Education, Dental; D004498:Education, Dental, Continuing; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data