Journal of Disability and Oral Health

cover art

Cover Date:
April 2005
Print ISSN:
1470-8558
Electronic ISSN:
1754-2758
Vol:
6
Issue:
1

Developing an Undergraduate Curriculum in Special Care Dentistry

There is broad agreement internationally that a holistic approach to patient care, and in particular, the so-called .special needs. patient, is lacking in many dental undergraduates1. Periodic evaluation of undergraduate courses reveals an ad-hoc approach to education in Special Care Dentistry2,3.
It is no longer tenable, within the framework of the Disability Discrimination Act4, the Human Rights Act5 as well as the rapidly changing demographic trends in the population that new graduates can qualify in ignorance of the impact of these for the wider community they serve. Whilst there is general awareness of the pressure on curricula to incorporate newer areas, it is unacceptable that trainee health care professionals are not given optimal exposure to the oral health needs of the most vulnerable members of society. Teachers acknowledge that only a minority of new graduates are likely to have a sustained interest in Special Care Dentistry (SCD) nevertheless, the majority of graduates ought to have sufficient exposure so that they:
.Are able to recognise their duty of care in the attainment of achievable treatment outcomes for patients with specific
medical, physical or mental health problems and to know the appropriate pathways for referral of patients whom they are
unable to treat or who require further assessment.. (Thompson et al., 2001)6
The proposed training programmes for postgraduates in Special Care Dentistry (SCD)7 have focussed the attention on activities at an undergraduate level, acknowledging that there should be a seamless transition between one stage and another of a person.s career, consistent with the philosophy of lifelong learning8.

Article Price
£15.00
Institution Article Price
£15.00
Page Start
3
Page End
15
Authors
Shelagh Thompson, Kathy Wilson, Carole A Boyle, June Nunn

Articles from this issue

  • Title
  • Pg. Start
  • Pg. End

  1. Editorial - Emily is Emily
  2. 2
  3. 2

  1. Developing an Undergraduate Curriculum in Special Care Dentistry
  2. 3
  3. 15

  1. Study of the value of the panoramic radiographic examination in special risk patients with a history of infective endocarditis
  2. 16
  3. 20

  1. Dental care for children (and the not so young) with intellectual disabilities
  2. 21
  3. 23

  1. A prospective study of complications and outcomes associated with conscious sedation for the anxious dental patient
  2. 24
  3. 30

  1. Recovering drug users and oral health: a qualitative study
  2. 34
  3. 41

  1. Oral findings and 18-month follow-up care in two siblings with autistic disorder
  2. 42
  3. 44

  1. Case report – Treatment of localised, moderately deep periodontal pockets in an HIV-positive patient with minimal intervention
  2. 45
  3. 47

  1. BSDH News
  2. 48
  3. 52

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