Perfil dos endodontistas de uma metrópole brasileira quanto ao atendimento odontológico a pacientes com necessidades especiais

The aim of this study was to characterize the profile of endodontic professionals from the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil in relation to dental treatment for patients with special needs (PSN). An online questionnaire on professional training and data on PSN dental care was sent to 3,500 endodontic professionals registered with the Sao Paulo Regional Dental Council in 2017.  Of the 138 returning professionals, 57.2% were female; 34.8% aged 31-40 years; 42.8% had 11-20 years since graduation; 38.4% had 11-20 years of endodontic specialization. Only 22.5% were trained to provide dental care to PSNs and of these, 58.1% had only theoretical classes. Of those who did not receive post-graduation training, 80.4% would like to have received it. Regarding the interest in PSN care courses after specialization, it was observed that only 15.9% performed some type of course, most of them theoretical only. Regarding difficulties during PSN care, "lack of patient collaboration during care" was mentioned by 74.6%, and "insecurity due to lack of professional preparation" by 55.0%. The analysis of the association of variables by the Chi-square test showed that the longer the training time, the lower the difficulty during PSN care (p=0.0415). Specialists find more difficulties compared to those with associated training (masters and doctorate) (p=0.0369). There was no significant association between difficulties in PSN care and type of HEI (public or private) (p> 0.05). The current panorama of endodontic professional training does not seem to include care for patients with special needs.