Abstract

Introduction: Oral health promotion and the quality of life of individuals with disabilities or special groups in life cycles are challenges yet to be overcome by both dentist teams and the general society.

Aim: Approaching the dentistry context faced by patients with disabilities with emphasis on clinical strategies, guidelines and experiences.

Materials and Methods: Literature review based on publications indexed between 2012 and 2022, in Brazilian Portuguese and English, found in Lilacs, Pubmed, Google Scholar and guidelines databases, according to the following keywords: dental care for people with disabilities, dentistry for people with disabilities, dentistry for disabled patients, dentistry for disabled, special care dentistry; it totaled 31 references.

Results: Professional training does not cover dentistry for disabled people in discipline matrices, so often, a fact that contributes to lack of these professionals and demotivation in acting in this field. Specific professional management and adjustment strategies are essential to implement qualified services and to inclusion in dignifying and qualified treatments. Educational, preventive and multi-disciplinary activities are crucial to prevent oral issues in disabled patients.

Conclusion: Lack of professional qualification in dental care for people with disabilities remains a challenge to be overcome within the educational training process. Individual knowledge about each disabled patient and about their particularities enables proper clinical planning and their inclusion in qualified dental treatments.

Keywords: Dental Care for People with Disabilities; Disabled Persons; Oral Health

References

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