Special needs dentistry practice in Southeast Asia and Australasia

• Published in: International dental journal Vol. 74; pp. S43 - S44
• Main Authors: Iyer, Srividya, Singh, Ankur
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.10.2024
• ISSN: 0020-6539
• DOI: 10.1016/j.identj.2024.07.702

To establish the number and distribution of special needs dentistry specialists and to provide an overview of this area of practice in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Ethics approval was obtained from the Melbourne Dental School, Human Ethics Advisory Group. This mixed methods study consists of an online survey and semi-structured interviews of specialists in special needs dentistry (SND) from Australia, Malaysia, and New Zealand. General dental practitioners from Singapore were included in the study with additional qualifications in special needs dentistry. The distribution of special needs services across the four countries was mapped using geographic information system tools. Semi-structured interviews were used to understand the experience of clinicians, the barriers faced, their motivation to practice SND, and their views of the future of the specialty. As of September 2022, a total of 52 SND clinicians were identified. Most (71%) were females, with a mean age of 43 years. The predominant themes that emerged from the clinician semi-structured interviews were financial constraints, organisational barriers, integration of services, career pathway, need for integration into a multidisciplinary setting, and lack of recognition of SND. This study has demonstrated stark inequalities in the workforce distribution and strength of SND specialists and clinicians. Inclusion in the undergraduate dental curriculum and removal of financial barriers to undertaking specialty training will aid in the recruitment of future clinicians and specialists, subsequently, reducing the inequalities and improving the quality of life for this vulnerable population.