Mentorship for the Future Special Care Dentist.

Mentorship and exposure to individuals with intellectual disabilities and special health care needs is typically limited in predoctoral dental training programs due to time restrictions created by the expansion of technology and scientific learning within the dental school curricula. In this article, the authors look at the benefits of creating mentorship programs; characteristics of good mentors and mentees; and examples of successful, unsuccessful, and future programs in order to create dental professionals who are equipped to address the oral health needs for these vulnerable populations.