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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.
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