Journal of Dental Sciences
Volume 4, Issue 4 , Pages 165-172, December 2009

Strategies for oral health care for people with disabilities in Taiwan

  • Wei-Li Jeng

      Affiliations

    • Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, National Taiwan University Dental School, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Tong-Mei Wang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, National Taiwan University Dental School, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Tsang-Lie Cher

      Affiliations

    • Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, National Taiwan University Dental School, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chun-Pin Lin

      Affiliations

    • Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, National Taiwan University Dental School, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Jiiang-Huei Jeng

      Affiliations

    • Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, National Taiwan University Dental School, Taipei, Taiwan
    • National Health Research Institute, Zhunan, Miaoli County, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University Medical College, 1, Chang-Te Street, Taipei 10048, Taiwan

Received 4 August 2009; accepted 7 November 2009.

Article Outline

Oral health care for disabled patients is an important health issue in Taiwan. Disabled patients seeking dental care include those with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, Down syndrome, autism, xerostomia, AIDS, loss of function of major organs, and neurologic diseases. Current dental health care policies do not completely address this critical oral health issue. Most of these physically or mentally disabled patients cannot find suitable or qualified dental services in local dental clinics or even hospitals. Our current health care insurance system should provide greater benefits for dental practitioners who are willing to care for such disabled patients. The Department of Health (DOH) should legislate policies to provide greater financial support and equipment and encourage hospital dental clinics and dentists to join this special oral care program. Dental schools, hospitals, and the DOH can also provide curricula and special training programs for both dentists and undergraduate dental students so that they can learn about diseases and dental care of these patients. The government and DOH should cover the fees of lawsuits if dentists have medical legal problems while treating patients with disabilities. Questions on special care dentistry can possibly be included in the National Board Dental Examination. The government can establish some national oral health care centers to treat these disabled patients. Through the development of effective preventive and treatment strategies, the incidence of oral diseases in these patients can be reduced in the future.

Key words:  disabled , mental disability , oral health care strategies , physical disability , special care dentistry

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PII: S1991-7902(09)60022-2

doi:10.1016/S1991-7902(09)60022-2

Journal of Dental Sciences
Volume 4, Issue 4 , Pages 165-172, December 2009

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