Social work in a dental program for the developmentally disabled.

Abstract

This article discusses the role of a social worker in a dental school based program for the developmentally disabled. Developmentally disabled people constitute a heterogeneous population with problems that often prevent them from receiving appropriate dental services. A social worker in the dental care setting can help this population access dental services. Data gathered during a 2-year period support the hypothesis that patients living at home present more obstacles to dental care and require more social work intervention in obtaining dental care than patients living in residential settings.