PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY – DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED BY THOSE RESPONSIBLE TO MAINTAIN ORAL HEALTH IN PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Abstract

Pediatric Dentistry is a dental specialty that deals with the oral health of babies, children and adolescents. It is an area that requires professional skill and sensitivity to deal with patients in different age groups and levels of development. For people with disabilities, dental care can present additional challenges. It is important that the professional is aware of the particularities of each disability and adapts the approach and treatment according to the patient's needs. Oral health is a constituent and indivisible part of an individual's general health; therefore, a good oral condition includes the possibility of fully exercising functions such as chewing, swallowing and phonation, favoring self-esteem, social relationships and, consequently, quality of life. This is an integrative review research, searching national articles published in full between 2013 and 2023, in the Virtual Health Library (BVS) –LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences) database. Patients with Special Needs have an unassisted oral health condition, much greater than the general population, and may be associated with reduced access to health care, including financial, social and physical barriers, the inability to cooperate, whether due to physical impairment , mental, sensory, among others, the assistance provided by their caregivers and professionals with the knowledge to perform procedures adapted to the reality of this population, therefore requiring differentiated care, which aims to restore oral health and consequently their quality of life. To face these difficulties, it is important that caregivers seek help from dental professionals who specialize in caring for people with special needs and who work together with other health professionals to ensure an integrated and comprehensive approach to oral health.