Elaine Cardoso

Background: Patients with special care needs (developmental disabilities) have unique and complex needs regarding their oral health and care. This qualitative study aimed to identify the experiences, preferences and challenges of dentists and caregivers regarding behavior guidance techniques for dental care in persons with special care needs.Methods: Relying on qualitative description as articulated by Sandelowski, we conducted telephone interviews with a purposeful sample of five special care dentists and seven caregivers. We analyzed the data using thematic analysis.Results: Four themes were highlighted: (1) Neither pharmacological or non‐pharmacological behavior guidance techniques was universally suitable, (2) A patient‐centered approach was critical, (3) The dental environment triggered patients’ behaviors and anxiety levels, (4) There was more demand for, than supply of, qualified dentists to treat patients with special care needs.Conclusions: Persons with special care needs are heterogeneous and respond to various behavioral techniques required to deliver their treatment. Behavior guidance planning should be negotiated carefully with patients and caregivers and then individualized based on patients’ capabilities and needs for treatment. The necessity to manage complex behaviors has contributed to the limitation of access to dental care for persons with special care needs. Dentistry as a profession has the obligation to uphold the social contract and meet its responsibility to the dental care needs of this population.

Background: Periodontal diseases can negatively impact the oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) of pregnant women. This study investigates the association between maternal oral inflammatory load (OIL), sociodemographic characteristics, and the OHRQoL in postpartum women.Methods: In this cross‐sectional study, breastfeeding mothers were recruited from St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto within 2–4 weeks postpartum. Mothers were categorized into “Normal/low” and “High” OIL groups based on the absolute counts of oral polymorphonuclear neutrophils (oPMNs). The Oral Health Impact Profile‐14 questionnaire was used to assess the impact of the maternal OIL on the OHRQoL. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the association between maternal sociodemographic factors including age, marital status, education level, employment status, parity, and their OHRQoL.Results: Forty‐seven mothers were included in this study. Mothers with high OIL reported higher impact on their OHRQoL (30%) than mothers with normal/low OIL (21%), but these differences were not statistically different. There was a negative relationship between the mother's education level and the extent of impact of OHRQoL on the “physical pain” dimension (p < 0.05), and between the mothers’ age and employment status and the “physical disability” dimension (p < 0.05). A positive correlation was noted between multi‐parity and the extent of impact of OHRQoL on the “physical disability” dimension (p = 0.009), and between the marital status and the “psychological disability” dimension (p < 0.05).Conclusion: This study highlighted the significant impact of sociodemographic characteristics on the OHRQoL of mothers, showcasing the importance of considering these factors when implementing targeted preventive dental care programs for mothers.