Project SANDs (Special Needs Network of Dentists) is a project of the Medical University of South Carolina and funded by the Duke Endowment to connect adults with special needs to dental care providers. Our goals are to improve access to quality, evidence-based oral health care for Special Health Care Needs (SHCN) populations, improve oral health clinical indicators for SHCN patients, and move SHCN patients from emergency, episodic treatment to routine dental care in a dental home in their community.

Families should be supported in taking an active role to establish and maintain good oral health for their child. Below are some suggested resources:

Resources

• NIDCR Autism Spectrum Disorder and Dental Visits (YouTube)
• Oral Health for Families with Special Health Care Needs (pdf)
  This resource guide was developed by DPH's Division of Oral Health and MUSC's College of Dental Medicine through funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The booklet is designed to give parents and caregivers tips on keeping their child's or teen's mouth healthy, taking into account the challenges that exist for those with special needs. In addition to parents, the booklet is also a good resource for schools, home school associations, parent and community outreach programs, as well dental and medical offices.
• An Oral Health Professional's Guide to Serving Young Children with Special Health Care Needs
  This series of five self-contained online modules is designed to provide oral health professionals with information to help ensure young children with special health care needs have access to health promotion and disease prevention services that address their unique oral health needs in a comprehensive, family-centered, and community-based manner. This curriculum was developed by a multidisciplinary team of experts with funding from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration.
• Children with Special Health Care Needs: An Introduction to Practical Oral Care for People with Developmental Disabilities 
  A National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Institute series of publications, Practical Oral Care for People with Developmental Disabilities equips dental professionals in the community with the basic information they need to deliver quality oral health care to people with special needs.
• Planning Guide for Dental Professionals Serving Children with Special Health Care Needs (pdf)
  Developed by the University of Southern California University Affiliated Program of Children's Hospital Los Angeles, this manual promotes a framework within which oral health professionals can communicate with and work with families to ensure that appropriate, quality oral health care is provided both at home and in the dental office.

Additional Information

• MCH Children & Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs
• Care Line
• Camp Burnt Gin
• MUSC - Project SANDs
• Family Connection
• Find a Provider
• Oral Health for Children and Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs: Challenges and Opportunities (pdf)
• Strategies for Improving the Oral Health System of Care for Children and Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs (pdf) - A list of strategies to improve the oral health of CSHCN