The Role of Prosthodontists in Habilitation and Rehabilitation in Rare Disorders: The Ectodermal Dysplasia Experience

Purpose: The aim of this article is to highlight the strong worldwide trend of enhancing the opportunities for individuals with rare disorders to get adequate information and treatment. Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia is used as an example. Materials and Methods: The development in recent years of databases for rare disorders, the establishment of resource centers in dentistry, and the strong movement of user influence by the formation of patient organizations and exchange of information through the Internet are described. Reference is made to the recent Scandinavian consensus conference on ectodermal dysplasia. Results: Motives for the centralization of treatment planning to resource centers for persons with rare disorders, the compilation of treatment outcomes in databases, and the advocation of a multidisciplinary team approach in dentistry are presented. Conclusion: The prosthodontic profession has a key position in the habilitation and rehabilitation of many different diagnoses of rare disorders.