Qatar’s first dental clinic for patients with special needs, located in Al Wakra Hospital, has cared for more than 900 children and adults with special needs since opening in 2015. 
According to Dr Abdulhakim Ahmad al-Yafei, senior paediatric consultant for Special Needs Dentistry and head of the Dentistry Department at Al Wakra Hospital, the first of its kind specialised clinic has seen an increase in demand from patients under the age of 18. 
According to Dr al-Yafei patients with special healthcare needs often have more severe dental problems. He said their disability, and the increased incidence of anxiety that can accompany a physical or developmental disability often results in more complex care needs.
“Since opening our specialised clinic three years ago, we have seen an increase in the number of children who require our services. We are currently seeing around 20 children each week and these paediatric patients can have a variety of special requirements as a result of congenital or developmental conditions, or disease or trauma. Around 70% of the children we care for have autism, but we also care for patients with Down syndrome, epilepsy, and multiple physical and developmental disabilities,” said Dr al-Yafei.
Dr al-Yafei explained that sedation or general anaesthesia is sometimes recommended in the case of patients who have multiple dental problems and are unable to sit in a dental chair. “We have recently begun using nitrous oxide, called laughing gas, in the treatment of many of our paediatric patients in particular, patients with Down syndrome. Nitrous oxide is a gas used to safely and effectively administer conscious sedation. During the administration of nitrous oxide, no bodily functions are affected and the patient remains in a comfortable state. The patient is awake but feels completely relaxed,” explained Dr al-Yafei.
Al Wakra Hospital’s specialised dental clinic is fitted with state-of-the-art medical equipment and has a number of features designed to meet the needs of patients with physical disabilities, including a dedicated operating room, a special door which is wide enough to allow access to patients with mobility impairments, and a special lifting apparatus which can lift an object up to 400kg in weight; this feature enables the treatment of patients while they are seated on their wheelchairs.
The specialised dental clinic at Al Wakra Hospital is the first of its kind in the Middle East and cares for children and adults with special needs. The clinic is staffed by one senior consultant and two specialists and provides routine dental care such as cleanings, checkups, tooth extractions, and fillings.