Information in this article was made available from a guide for parents and dental providers of children with special needs developed by the Oklahoma Dental Foundation in partnership with several funders.  The entire guide is available for download at: Oral Health Care For Children With Special Health Care Needs.

The following is an excerpt from pages 4-5 of the guide.

Providing oral care for children and youth with special health care needs should generally follow the same standards of practice for typically developing children.

Much of what happens in an ordinary dental visit will still occur. Visits may be more frequent or may require some extra personal attention or modification of equipment or procedures. Most visits, however, will be routine. The primary concern in treating children with special health care needs is that the dental provider be informed of all physical/medical conditions, medications, allergies, and/or behaviors that will require accommodation.

A variety of protocols are given in the resource section of this guide for dental professionals. It is a good resource for family members/caregivers also in understanding what to expect from a
dental provider.