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People with disabilities encounter barriers to care and health disparities. An understanding of relevant concepts in disability can help providers better identify and mitigate them. Understanding models of disability and using appropriate language can enable providers to better care for their patients with disabilities. Dental providers should become familiar with concepts that are accepted as best practices in caring for people with disabilities, such as utilizing a strengths-based approach, providing patient- and family-centered care, integrating universal design into the dental setting, and utilizing a team approach to care delivery.

The lives of CSHCN are often complicated by medical and behavioral conditions that make delivery of high-quality dental care a challenge. This text focuses on equipping providers with the skills and perspective to meet the needs of this population. Core values include putting the patient and family first, delivering care in the least restrictive way, learning about the communication style of the patient, leveraging the expertise of medical and behavioral providers, a willingness to adapt the treatment environment to suit the patient, flexibility in treatment expectations, and employing pharmacological techniques when indicated. By adopting an attitude that recognizes the fundamental value of diversity in human life, we break down barriers and shift the care paradigm toward a more dignified and inclusive dental experience.