Integrated Special Needs

The Integrated Special Needs department has a number of sub units that provide a range of dental assessments and treatments to patients with special needs - including physical, intellectual, mental health, complex medical and geriatric issues.

Clinical Criteria:

Integrated Special Needs Dentistry caters for patients with the following conditions (or multiple conditions in a milder form):

Medically compromised patients who meet one of the following criteria:

• There is a significant risk of a medical emergency

OR

• there is a significant risk of the proposed treatment adversely impacting the patient's health

AND

• it is beyond reasonable expectations that the general dental clinic would be able to appropriately manage this patient

Disabilities:

• Severe hearing or visual impairment combined with another condition
• Profound intellectual disability
• Severe physical disability
• Mild to moderate intellectual or physical disability combined with another disability or complex medical condition

People with behavioural problems who meet the following criteria:

• Dental phobic where multiple treatment attempts have failed
• Severe behavioural issues combined with any of the above

Impaired cognitive function:

• Severe impairment combined with another condition mental health condition
• Severe clinical condition, with a written confirmation of a medical practitioner and/or having a case manager
• Mental health illness combined with another condition

Patients living arrangements are also a factor in determining suitability for a referral to the Integrated Special Needs Clinic:

People in Supported Residential Care or Community Residential Units should meet one of the following criteria based on the Residential Classification Scale (RCS);

• RCS 1-4 plus Mobility C or D
• RCS 1-4 plus Mobility A or B plus Understanding and Undertaking of Living

Activities C or D

• RCS 5-8 eligible if meeting one of the other criteria in this guideline
• Patient within a psychiatric care or mental health facility plus another condition
• Homebound patients, where impossible to access any dental facility
• Patients with home-based carer plus another condition

Exclusions:

• Patients aged 16 years or under should be referred to the Paediatric Dentistry Clinic.

Prerequisite for referral:

• Completion of the RDHM Referral Special Needs Form, including:
  • Provision of a detailed medical history from the patient's general practitioner (GP section included in the above form)
• Consent - in situations where the patient cannot provide self-consent, consent needs to be provided by the Medical treatment decision maker. Further information regarding who is able to provide consent can be found at the Office of The Public Advocate