Triple trained pediatric dentist and craniofacial orthodontist Dr. Christina Carter is concerned about the need to improve oral health in special needs patients and the challenges dentists and families face due to lack of training and awareness of these conditions. Carter is one of only a handful of doctors in in the U.S. who has this comprehensive advanced training.
Dr. Carter specializes in treating special needs patients, including children with physical, developmental, and behavioral disabilities. Carter foresees demand for special needs dentists continuing to grow.
As the past president of the Northeastern Society of Orthodontists (NESO) and Carter is a strong advocate of using dental products made by leading sustainable oral care brand, Radius. This is because of their specially designed materials and awareness of an underserved population.
Radius is a family-owned, women-led, Pennsylvania-based consumer products company, founded in 1982. As well as being ergonomically suitable for those with special needs, the products that are sustainable, organic, biodegradable, recyclable, compostable, plant-based made, and toxin-free.
Carter explains to Digital Journal how dental visits can be a common challenge for families of children with special needs. According to the CDC, 17 percent of children have one or more developmental disabilities.
Research shows that children with special needs have higher rates of oral diseases and tooth decay, compared with the general population, leaving 13.6 million children who require special health care needs. And finding a dentist who has the training and skills to treat those specialized needs, presents an even bigger challenge for an already underserved population, who risk having unmet dental needs.
A severe shortage of special needs dentists, mixed with an increasing number of patients with physical disabilities and behavioral disorders, has created a barrier for dentists who lack the training required to treat these patients.
In addition, a recent survey highlighted the demand for special needs dentists and the oral health disparities caused by this shortage; revealing that 27.8 percent of dentists said they treat either “none or few” special needs patients.
Carter sees a large number of special needs patients at her practice, including children with sensory processing disorders, learning disabilities, speech issues, autism, wheelchair bound cerebral palsy patients, epilepsy, and children with cleft palates, and other craniofacial syndromes.
Carter says patients are not one size fits all, and strongly recommends using Radius’ toothbrushes for children with special needs because of key human factors design element: the brushes offer bigger handles and heads for better cleaning. In particular, Carter recommends these toothbrushes for with children with autism and orally defensive disorders.
