Access and Availability of dental care to Paediatric special needs Research Proposal

Access and Availability of dental care to Paediatric special needs patients in Saudi Arabia - Research Proposal Example The general oral hygiene of these chidlren were also found to be very low (Al-Banyan, Echeverri, Narendran and Keene, 2000, p.43). This study had recommended an oral health program to be implemented through the educational institutions (Al-Banyan, Echeverri, Narendran and Keene, 2000, p.43). Further studies to identify the specific factors leading to the problem was also suggested by this study (Al-Banyan, Echeverri, Narendran and Keene, 2000, p.43). Al-Malik and Rehbini (2006) have also pointed to the high level of caries in children in Saudi Arabia as compared to children in other countries and called for immediate intervention through school intervention programs. Especially when it comes to special needs patients like children with autism, the negative behavior of such children towards treatment or any similar problems in case of other special needs groups, will limit their access to and availability of dental care and treatment (Murshid, 2005). It is this existing research highl ights along with the case studies displaying the high prevalence of oral problems among special needs children that was witnessed while working with them that prompted this researcher to explore further in this area of study. Though the research works mentioned above have exhibited that there is a high level of oral health problems in children with special needs in Saudi Arabia, none of them have thrown light upon to what extent this problems gets addressed. It is not revealed whether these children have access to and availability of appropriate and efficient dental care in the present context in Saudi Arabia. Only by assessing the lacuna that is there, further steps can be taken to address the oral health needs of these special needs children. Hence this researcher is of the belief that this study on the access and availability of dental care to special needs children in Saudi Arabia can add valuable