DENTISTRY FOR TURKISH RESIDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: A COMMENTARY

There are approximately 9 million residents with disabilities in turkey. despite national legislation to assure individuals with disabilities needed services, including education and employment, social inclusion of these individuals is difficult since societal views exclude them from functioning as members of a community. while there are no national studies of the dental needs of individuals with disabilities in turkey, there are mixed reports of local studies of patients with disabilities which indicate the need for increased oral hygiene and restorative services, as well as a greater incidence of patient guidance difficulties. nevertheless, a study of practitioner involvement in the care of individuals with patients with disabilities reported the willingness to provide care, but limited preparation of dental students to provide service for this population. examples of dental education accreditation standards in other countries are used as models for the improvement in the preparation of dental students to provide services for individual with special needs.