Thank you to the Australian Dental Association for shining a spotlight on Special needs dentistry (SND) in the April 2022 ADA News Bulletin magazine. Read the full article here!
In this article I highlight the overwhelming number of 4.4 million Australians who require special needs dentistry and the severe undersupply of 24 practicing specialists. In order to address this, we need more general dentists to step up and share the care of the patients with less complex needs who are suitable to be seen in the community setting.
To my fellow oral health care professionals, I encourage you to choose to care for any person that makes it to your dental chair. When you do this, your impact extends far beyond the oral cavity, to breaking down attitudinal barriers, overcoming stigma, and contributing to an inclusive society, where every person can access oral healthcare.