Dental Education About Patients with Special Needs: A Survey of Korean Dental Schools and Regional Dental Centers for the Patients with Special Needs

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore how Korean dental schools educate students about patients with special needs and which difficulties educational administrators have. Data were collected from eleven dental schools and eight regional dental centers (RDCs) in Korea for the special needs with a web-based survey. While six schools among eleven covered this topic in their clinical education, only six schools among eleven offered a separate course about special needs patients. The clinical education varied widely. Most programs have taught the treatment of patients with developmental delays or intellectual disabilities such as cerebral palsy (100.0%), intellectual disabilities (77.8%), autism spectrum disorder (77.8%). Written exams were the most common outcome assessment (87.5%). The commonly reported challenges were lack of educational resources, and curriculum already overloaded. Respondents also indicated lack of special needs dentistry trained faculty members. Average number of hours for special needs clinical education was less than a day (37.5%), a day or two (37.5%) and three to five days (25.0%). Patients were visiting at RDC more than 200 patients per month. Four RDCs were located in dental school hospitals. RDC provided oral home care and oral disease prevention programs to caregivers regularly and it operated a mobile dental services. Respondents in RDC preferred students observing dental treatment (74.2%) or assisting the treatment (74.2%) provided by dental practitioners in RDC. The perceived challenges of students being primary treatment providers for the special needs in RDC were patient behavior management (83.9%) and obtaining informed consent from parents or legal guardians (64.3%). Respondents in RDC agreed on program development for post graduate fellowship program for the special needs dentistry.

Key words: special needs dentistry, regional dental center for patients with special needs

Student Number: 2015-22094