Considerations when treating the Special Care Dentistry patient
Patients with special and complex needs for oral care are a poorly defined group of population. These patients face many obstacles when trying to reach the goals described in The Health Act concerning the manitemance of good oral health throughout life. In order to overcome these barriers one must use different approaches such as treatment under sedation and/or general anaesthesia. The barriers are not only to be found within the patient and their impairment but also within the legislation designed to protect the citizens. Furthermore, treatment can be complicated by lack of transport opportunities, and most patients are dependent on help and therefore need to be accompanied. These barriers to dental treatment emphasize that the most important and crusial element in the dental care of these patients is daily oral care (instruction and aid to the patient and relevant caretaking personnel) in order to prevent oral disease and thereby minimizing the need for treatment.
Tandbehandling af komplekse patienter med særlige behov – behandlingsmæssige overvejelser
ABSTRACT
I tandplejen udgør komplekse patienter med særlige behov en dårligt afgrænset og inhomogen gruppe borgere. Der kan beskrives flere forskellige barrierer for at tilgodese Sundhedslovens mål om ”sunde tænder, mund og kæber” hos denne patientgruppe. For at overvinde disse barrierer kan man anvende forskellige strategier bl.a. behandling under sedation og i generel anæstesi. Barriererne skal dog ikke kun søges hos den enkelte patient og i dennes funktionsnedsættelse, da der tillige kan identificeres barrierer mht. transport og ledsagelse, men også barrierer af juridisk karakter. Det vigtigste element i disse borgeres tandpleje er dog en sufficient daglig mundhygiejne, da der er tale om en gruppe patienter, hvor behandling er kompliceret af talrige forhold.
