**3. Conclusions**

Special healthcare need patients are literally special patients who need special attention by means of healthcare provision including dental care. The major challenges they have with their overall health may create barriers to access to proper oral healthcare. Oral healthcare for this special group is often neglected or down the list, and as a result, they often attend to dental clinics with emergency.

Individuals with special needs are the most underserved regarding healthcare needs in almost all populations. Due to the challenges of nutrition and insufficient oral hygiene provision, this population is usually more prone to dental caries, periodontal disease, and orthodontic problems. Besides, they face more difficulties accessing professional dental care than other segments of the population.

The field of special care dentistry is attracting more interest of pediatric dentists and general dental practitioners. The inclusion of the specialty programs in the dentistry faculty curriculum may initiate the ideal treatment procedures and regular recalls of these special patients, which may facilitate the access to sufficient dental care provision and regular check-ups for this special group.

Though many countries developed community-based systems to improve oral health for people with special needs, providing good oral health mainly depends on the effort of the families. Therefore the education of the caregiver about oral hygiene provision is also critical for the special needs patient to enjoy a lifetime of oral health the same as other members of the society.
