"Management of Medically Compromised and Special Needs Patients:  Key Updates for the Dental Team"

Miriam R. Robbins, D.D.S., M.S.
Director of the Care Center for Persons with Disabilities, Professor of Clinical Oral Medicine, Professor of Clinical Restorative Dentistry at Penn Dental Medicine

Synopsis:  One in four US adults - 61 million Americans - have a disability that affects major life activities.  Six in ten adults in the US have at least one chronic disease.  Understanding the implications of common, systemic diseases as well as physical and intellectual disabilities and recongnizing the unique needs of these patients, is essential for the oral healthcare provider to provide safe and appropriate care and prevent unnecessary (and unwanted) morbidity and mortality.  Provision of oral healthcare to individuals with complex medical conditions or disabilities may require modifications to the delivery of treatment and the types of treatment delivered.  This course will provide practical information for dental health providers who endeavor to identify strategies that increase their ability to deliver dental care to individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (ID/DD), acquired disabilities and other individuals with special healthcare needs, including chronic medical conditions, effectively and safely.