Special care dentistry is the branch of oral health care that treats people with special needs, including those with physical, medical, developmental, or cognitive conditions that limit their ability to receive routine dental care.

Biofilms are composed of bacteria adhering to each other or to living or nonliving surfaces. They form complex communities surrounded by extracellular polymeric substances. Cells within these biofilms have changing physiologic and metabolic…

Patient care involves treating a broad spectrum of individuals described in many ways, such as diverse patient family, demographically diverse, or representative of the culture or cultures living in a specific community. Diversity can be…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex, lifelong developmental disability that impairs communication, as well as social, behavioral, and intellectual functioning. As a catchall term, ASD includes autistic disorder, pervasive…

Biofilms are composed of bacteria adhering to each other or to living or nonliving surfaces. If not removed regularly, a complex and mature biofilm develops, with up to 100 bacterial species at a single site. Supra- and subgingival oral…

Staying abreast of the changing landscape of caries risk assessment, management, and prevention will help oral health professionals provide the highest quality patient care. Read on to see how much you know about this important facet of…

Knowledgeable oral health professionals are uniquely positioned to identify children early in the sleep disorder disease process, helping to prevent serious oral and systemic health problems. Read on to test your knowledge on sleep…

Site-specific ultrasonic inserts/tips (UITs) can increase access to difficult-to-reach areas and may help to improve periodontal therapy outcomes. How does your knowledge stack up on adapting site-specific UITs?

Oral health professionals play a role in caring for patients with cleft lip and/or palate as part of the patient’s craniofacial team. Read more to discover how much you understand about a clinician’s role in treating this patient…