Specialist Networks Influence Clinician Willingness to Treat Individuals with Special Needs.

BACKGROUND: The South Australian Dental Service's Special Needs Network was established to support oral health professionals working within their statewide government-funded dental service to treat patients with special needs. This study aimed to investigate how a structured network relationship with specialists in special needs dentistry influenced the willingness of dentists to treat this group of patients. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the views of specialists and dentists involved in the South Australian Dental Service's Special Needs Network. Inductive thematic analysis identified emerging themes enabling completion of a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis. RESULTS: Dentists felt that a strength of the Network was a greater sense of collegiality, particularly for those working in rural areas. Although the inability to get immediate advice was seen as a weakness, dentists felt a more structured relationship with specialists improved communication pathways and resulted in more timely care. The aging workforce, systemic barriers in the public dental system, such as productivity pressures and infrastructure, and the lack of support from other health professionals were seen as ongoing barriers and threats. Regardless, dentists identified the use of telehealth and visiting specialists as future opportunities. Specialists felt that the Network was a valuable resource but were skeptical about its effectiveness, feeling that a limitation was the ability of dentists to recognize the complexity of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Ongoing support from and communication with specialists in special needs dentistry through a structured network improved the perceived ability and willingness of dentists to treat patients with special needs. KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT: This research suggests that providing support to dentists through a hub-and-spoke network that facilitates additional training, professional interaction, and improved communication with specialists in special needs dentistry may help overcome some of the current barriers to access to care experienced by individuals with special needs, particularly those associated with the willingness and capability of clinicians treat them.

Perspectives of the public dental workforce on the dental management of people with special needs.

BACKGROUND: People with special health care needs continue to have difficulties accessing regular dental care partly due to oral health professionals feeling they lack the knowledge and experience to provide treatment to these individuals. METHODS: Qualitative interviews and focus groups provided an insight into the types and nature of supports that oral health professionals working in the Australian public dental system desired and felt may improve their willingness and/or ability to treat patients with special needs. RESULTS: Although participants did not identify one group of patients with special needs that were more difficult to treat, they did report a feeling of being unsupported. Clinicians felt that improved training and access to ongoing education in Special Needs Dentistry, opportunities for greater support from specialists or other health professionals, either through networking or other media such as telehealth, and fostering a more supportive clinical environment, particularly in relation to appointment lengths and productivity pressures, may improve their willingness and ability to treat patients with special needs. CONCLUSIONS: Additional support, in the form of greater interaction with specialists and reduced time and productivity pressures, may improve the willingness of oral health professionals in the public dental system to treat patients with special needs.

Perception of Special Needs Dentistry education and practice amongst Australian dental auxiliary students.

INTRODUCTION: The role of dental auxiliaries in collaborative care of patients with special needs is compelling. This study was undertaken to investigate the perceptions of Special Needs Dentistry (SND) education and practice amongst students enrolled in Australian programmes in dental auxiliary, namely dental hygiene, dental therapy and oral health therapy (DH/DT/OHT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All Australian institutions offering DH/DT/OHT programmes (n = 14) were invited to participate in a self-administered questionnaire survey, conducted online, involving students across all academic years. Twelve institutions agreed to participate, but only five institutions were included in the final analysis, with a student response rate of 31.1%. Answers to open-ended questions were coded and grouped for measurement of frequencies. Quantitative data were analysed via chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests (significance taken as P < .05). RESULTS: The majority of students could not define SND (87.0%) were not aware of the existence of this specialty (53.5%) and did not have clinical experience treating patients with special needs (68.9%). Nevertheless, they felt comfortable and positive about treating these patients independently. Most agreed that they should receive clinical and didactic education in SND, with many of them expressing interest in pursuing a specialty training in this field. CONCLUSION: DH/DT/OHT students' comfort levels, positive attitudes and supportiveness for SND suggested positive implications for these practitioners to partake in multidisciplinary management of patients with special needs, thus indicating the need for standardised training requirements and practice guidelines in this area of care.

Educating medical students in oral health care: current curriculum and future needs of institutions in Malaysia and Australia.

Poor oral health has been associated with compromised general health and quality of life. To promote comprehensive patient management, the role of medical professionals in oral health maintenance is compelling, thus indicating the need for educational preparation in this area of practice. This study aimed to determine the extent of training in oral health in Malaysian and Australian medical schools. An audio-recorded semi-structured phone interview involving Academic Programme Directors in Malaysian (n = 9, response rate=81.8%) and Australian (n = 7, response rate = 35.0%) medical schools was conducted during the 2014/2015 and 2014 academic years, respectively. Qualitative data was analysed via thematic analysis, involving coding and grouping into emerging themes. Quantitative data were measured for frequencies. It was found that medical schools in Malaysia and Australia offered limited teaching of various oral health-related components that were mostly integrated throughout the curriculum, in the absence of structured learning objectives, teaching methodologies and assessment approaches. Barriers to providing oral health education included having insufficient expertise and overloaded curriculum. As medical educators demonstrated support for oral health education, collaboration amongst various stakeholders is integral to developing a well-structured curriculum and practice guidelines on oral health management involving medical professionals.

Referral patterns of special needs patients at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Special Needs Dentistry (SND) has been recognized as a dental specialty in Australia since 2003 but there have been no studies addressing the profile of patients for specialist care. The purpose of this study is to identify, via referrals received, the profile of patients and quality of referrals at the largest public SND unit in Victoria, Australia. METHODS: All referrals received over a 6-month period (1 January-30 June 2013) by the integrated SND unit (ISNU) were reviewed prior to allocation to the outpatient clinic (OP), domiciliary (DOM) or general anaesthetic (GA) services. RESULTS: Six-hundred and eighty-eight referrals were received with the majority for the OP clinic (68.3%), followed by DOM (22.4%) and GA services (9.3%) (χ2  = 360.2, P < 0.001). A referral may have specified more than one special needs condition with the most common category being those who were medically compromised (81.7%). The reasons for referral included lack of compliance (27.2%), further management due to multiple medical conditions or GA services required (9.9%), or for multiple other reasons (62.9%). CONCLUSIONS: A diverse pattern of SND patients was referred to the ISNU with a majority of referrals having no specific referral reason cited, suggesting poor quality of referrals.

Special needs dentistry: perception, attitudes and educational experience of Malaysian dental students.

A compromised oral health condition amongst patients with special health care needs (SHCN) has been associated with the reluctance and shortage of skills of dental professionals in managing such patients. Lack of training and experience at the undergraduate level are reported barriers to the provision of care for this patient cohort. Undergraduate education therefore, plays an important role in producing professionals with the knowledge, skills and positive attitude in treating patients with SHCN. This study aims to determine the level of knowledge, comfort and attitudes of Malaysian undergraduate dental students towards caring for patients with SHCN, as well as their perception on education in this field. A self-administered questionnaire was administered in the classroom style to final year undergraduate dental students in Malaysian public dental schools. Most students were aware of Special Needs Dentistry (SND) as a specialty after being informed by academic staff. The majority of the students demonstrated poor knowledge in defining SND and felt uncomfortable providing care for such patients. They perceived their undergraduate training in SND as inadequate with most students agreeing that they should receive didactic and clinical training at undergraduate level. A high percentage of students also expressed interest in pursuing postgraduate education in this area of dentistry despite the lack of educational exposure during undergraduate years. The study supports a need for educational reform to formulate a curriculum that is more patient-centred, with earlier clinical exposure in various clinical settings for students to treat patients with special health care needs, applying the concept of holistic care in a variable clinical condition.

Root canal treatment and special needs patients.

AIM: To identify current trends of root canal treatment for patients with special needs. METHODOLOGY: A postal questionnaire was sent to General Dentists in Victoria, Australia and Endodontists and Special Needs Dentists across Australia to determine the extent of root canal treatment performed on special needs patients. RESULTS: Over a four-month period, 1120 questionnaires were distributed with an overall response rate of 63.9% (n = 716). Response rates were 63.2% (n = 655), 68.5% (n = 50) and 100.0% (n = 11) amongst General Dentists, Endodontists and Special Needs Dentists, respectively. Endodontists (95.7%) and Special Needs Dentists (100.0%) performed significantly more root canal treatment on adult patients with special needs compared with 51.2% of General Dentists, (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001 respectively; Fisher's exact test). The most common reasons for not undertaking root canal treatment included limited cooperation, poor oral hygiene and uncontrolled movement. Amongst General Dentists, 75.7% opted for extraction in preference to root canal treatment. Significantly, more specialist practitioners performed root canal treatment utilizing conscious sedation (P < 0.001) and general anaesthesia (P = 0.003). Most specialist practitioners (69.1%) had undertaken single-visit root canal treatment on special needs patients compared with only 29.7% of General Dentists (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Root canal treatment in special needs patients was more likely to be carried out by specialist dental practitioners who were more likely to utilize a pharmacological approach for behaviour guidance and to perform single-visit root canal treatment compared with General Dentists. A multidisciplinary approach for special needs patients who require root canal treatment provides an opportunity for these patients to retain their dentition.

Transitioning of special needs paediatric patients to adult special needs dental services.

BACKGROUND: Special needs dentistry is in its infancy compared to other dental specialties. Continuity of care through transition from paediatric to adult dental care providers is unknown. This study seeks to determine the nature of transition practices adopted by paediatric and special needs (SN) specialists practising throughout Australia. METHODS: A survey was sent to all paediatric and SN specialist dentists in Australia to determine the nature of current transition practices for paediatric SN patients in Australia. Two subsequent mail-outs were sent to non-responders. RESULTS: Forty-nine specialist dentists registered across Australia completed the survey, of which 35 (71%) were paediatric dentists and 14 (29%) were SN dentists. Both paediatric and SN dentists treated patients over the age of 18. Of the total paediatric dentists who had transition discussions with their paediatric patients and their families, the majority (over 80%) discussed treatment options available as part of future oral care management. Paediatric dentists identified level of independence and financial situations as the most significant barrier for transition. CONCLUSIONS: Key factors exist that should be discussed with SN patients and their parents and/or guardians in order to enhance the prospect of sustained dental care into adulthood.

A review of the clinical implications of bisphosphonates in dentistry.

Bisphosphonates are drugs that suppress bone turnover and are commonly prescribed to prevent skeletal related events in malignancy and for benign bone diseases such as osteoporosis. Bisphosphonate associated jaw osteonecrosis (ONJ) is a potentially debilitating, yet poorly understood condition. A literature review was undertaken to review the dental clinical implications of bisphosphonates. The present paper briefly describes the postulated pathophysiology of ONJ and conditions with similar clinical presentations. The implications of bisphosphonates for implantology, periodontology, orthodontics and endodontics are reviewed. Whilst bisphosphonates have potential positive applications in some clinical settings, periodontology particularly, further clinical research is limited by the risk of ONJ. Prevention and management are reviewed, including guidelines for reducing cumulative intravenous bisphosphonate dose, cessation of bisphosphonates prior to invasive dental treatment or after ONJ development, and the use of serum beta-CTX-1 in assessing risk. In the context of substantial uncertainty, the implications of bisphosphonate use in the dental clinical setting are still being determined.

Electromyographic activity of frontalis and sternocleidomastoid muscles in patients with temporomandibular disorders.

Little is known of the effects of an interocclusal appliance on the activity of craniocervical muscles in patients with temporomandibular disorder. The bilateral electromyographic activity of the frontalis muscle and sternocleidomastoid muscle were assessed in 10 patients with temporomandibular disorders and eight gender, age and dentally matched asymptomatic control subjects during rest and different clenching tasks with or without an interocclusal appliance. Clenching significantly increased both frontalis and sternocleidomastoid activity from rest. Clenching with an interocclusal appliance, as compared with clenching alone, also significantly reduced frontalis activity in both groups, but not for sternocleidomastoid. Increased electromyographic activity of these muscles may represent co-activation of the craniocervical musculature during clenching.

The effect of an interocclusal appliance on bite force and masseter electromyography in asymptomatic subjects and patients with temporomandibular pain and dysfunction.

The aims of this study were to assess the effect of clenching with or without the presence of an interocclusal appliance (IOA) on bite force (BF) and masseter electromyography (EMG) in patients with temporomandibular pain dysfunction disorders (TMPD) and to compare these results with an asymptomatic age- and gender-matched control group. Ten patients with TMPD (mean age 26.9 years) were compared with eight healthy controls (mean age 25.3 years). Bilateral masseter EMG activity was recorded at rest, while clenching on the BF meter, while clenching on an IOA and while clenching on an IOA together with the BF meter. Significant left to right EMG activity asymmetry was found in the patient group at rest and during multiple clenching tasks in the control group. The patient group had significantly greater EMG activity at rest than controls. For all other tasks, the control group EMG activity was greater than the patient group. Use of an IOA significantly decreased EMG activity in both patient and control groups. BF was significantly greater in the control group on the right side for the different clenching tasks. Insertion of the IOA significantly increased BF in the control group. The results of this study indicate differences in EMG activity and BF during different clenching tasks and between patients with TMPD and asymptomatic subjects.

A comparison of the effects of group function and canine guidance interocclusal device on masseter muscle electromyographic activity in normal subjects.

This study investigated the role of occlusal balance and canine guidance or group function guidance in masseter muscle function of normal subjects. Two types of interocclusal devices were constructed for each of the 10 subjects. Two ME 1020 EMG analyzers and bipolar Ag/AgCI electrodes were used to record the electromyographic activity of masseter muscles during clenching in centric occlusion, during left and right laterotrusive movements, and during clenching at the extremities of the jaw both with the natural dentition only and with adjusted and intentionally unadjusted interocclusal devices in place. This study demonstrated that there was no difference in masseter muscle electromyographic activity between the use of interocclusal devices designed for canine guidance or for group function guidance in normal subjects. It showed also that altering the occlusal balance significantly reduced muscle activity.

Quantitation and morphotyping of Candida albicans from healthy mouths and from mouths affected by erythematous candidosis.

Imprint culture and a mouthwash method were used to determine if quantitative differences exist between isolates of Candida albicans from individuals with healthy oral mucosa and from patients with erythematous candidosis (EC). The C. albicans isolated were differentiated by morphotyping. No quantitative difference in yeast isolations was observed with either technique irrespective of tobacco smoking status, the presence of a prosthesis, or EC. Multiple morphotypes were isolated from smokers with upper dentures and from smokers and non-smokers with EC, whilst a single morphotype was isolated from non-smokers with a healthy oral mucosa.