Dental Program for the Diagnosis and Treatment of the Special Patient
Carlos F. Salinas, DDS
College of Dental Medicine
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Specific Aims:
- Establish a referral program and a statewide network for special patients
- Establish didactic courses and clinical rotations regarding diagnosis, management, and dental care of the special patient
- Include medical and nursing students in the on-call schedule
- Train families about dental needs of their children
- Survey patients for their dental needs
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Children and adolescents with significant chronic illnesses, physically and mentally disabling conditions, and genetic disorders need basic dental care.
It is difficult to obtain such care because dentists do not get experience with these special patients during their training, alterations in the average
dental office and equipment is often needed, and many parents are unaware of the dental care needs of their special needs children. This project resulted
in establishing a coordinated dental referral program in which local and statewide dentists (including private practitioners) provide dental evaluations
and treatments to special needs patients, with complex cases being referred to the College of Dental Medicine at MUSC. Dr. Salinas and his colleagues also
developed formal courses to provide dental health care providers a better understanding of the problems in dental care management of special needs patients.
They educate parents and guardians to become effective managers of the special child's oral dental health care needs. A baseline needs assessment of oral
dental disease in this population in South Carolina has resulted from the analyses of data collected for this project.
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Results:
- Published the first dental directory for S.C. patients with special health care needs. The directory is a valuable tool with its main objective being the facilitation of access and referral of the special needs patient.
- Over 700 dentist and staff members have been reached through continuing education classes relating to the diagnosis and treatment of the Special Patient.
- Eleven (11) courses are offered that relate to the dental health of special needs children through MUSC School of Dentistry.
- Service Learning experiences are available for Undergraduate, Graduate and Post-Graduate students at the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic.
- Over 4000 clinic patients and caregivers have been trained in oral dental health care for the Special Patient.
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Dr. Salinas’ program continues today with funding from the Duke Endowment, a NIH Grant (COBRE), a RWJ Foundation Grant, as well as DHEC.
MUSC Dental School has created and maintained relationships with SC Department of Disabilities/Special Needs, Caring Connection and the SC
Oral Health Coalition. Dr. Carlos F. Salinas is a Professor of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics with the College of Dental Medicine. You
may obtain further information regarding his work with the Diagnosis and Treatment of the Special Patient by e-mail at salinasc@musc.edu.
Click here to be directed to the College of Dentistry Research web site.
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