Americans with Disabilities Act: Its Importance in Special Care Dentistry.

This article focuses on understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act and developmental disabilities for health care providers in special care dentistry. Essential to this awareness is a comprehension of statutory and regulatory requirements and how state disability acts can be more rigorous in application. Developmental disabilities are re-examined in the context of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition). Understanding of intellectual disability, epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, and cerebral palsy is necessary because the management of oral health considerations for special care patients has become ever more complex and indispensable.

Dentistry's intrinsic link to provision of services for persons with disabilities.

This article provides the dentist with a background on disabilities, education, practice and provision of services related to statutory and regulatory requirements, particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act anrid the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.