Dental care for individuals with developmental disabilities is expensive, but needed

More than $35 billion in additional lifetime costs will be expended for all children in the United States born with mental retardation in 1998 alone. The figure is $4.7 billion for California children. These numbers include neither the costs for individuals with other developmental disabilities, nor the costs for dental services. Despite the findings that individuals with mental retardation have more untreated dental needs than individuals in the general population, most dental students and many practitioners have limited experience in providing care for patients with special needs. The significant additional general costs for the care of people with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities are a reality, but the dental profession must not lose sight of the need for its members to provide services for these individuals.