We are special care dentists
Our team provides comprehensive oral health care for people with physical, intellectual, psychological, or developmental disabilities. Our special care dentists have over 80 years of combined dental experience and specialized training. Every staff member understands that individuals with special needs often have unique concerns. Together we strive to provide a place of comfort and an elevated treatment experience for every patient.

Our mission:

• Provide high-quality general dental treatment including good oral health maintenance
• Educate parents and caretakers to improve and/or maintain daily oral hygiene
• Increase public awareness of the importance of good oral health and its relationship to overall quality of life

At Special Smiles, we typically provide our special needs patients with comprehensive oral health care under general anesthesia in one annual visit. This includes all appropriate procedures, from exams and preventive care to eliminating oral pathology.

Our special needs dentistry services include assisting patients and families with health records, medical clearances, insurance coverage, and virtually all non-clinical issues. In our experience, 95% of our patients have both dental and anesthesia fees covered 100% by insurance.

Our Patients who require sedation dentistry are at least 8 years of age and have developmental, intellectual, physical, or psychological disabilities that prevent them from receiving routine dental care in a traditional dental office setting. Because of their disability, our patients require general anesthesia for sedation during routine dental treatment.

Some conditions that may lead to the need for general anesthesia include:

• Developmental Disabilities
• Intellectual Disabilities
• Physical Disabilities
• Psychological Disabilities
• Maladaptive Behaviors
• Special Health Care Needs
• Dental Phobia
• Airway Management Concerns for IV Sedation

Special Smiles offers free outreach programs and educational resources to support families and facilities in providing preventive oral healthcare for people with special needs.

• Toothbrushing education videos for caregivers. Each short video explains an important aspect of providing routine dental hygiene to an individual with special needs, including how to lower stress.
• A free online course to help caregivers increase their knowledge and skills in providing oral healthcare to individuals with special needs.
• Speakers at no cost to groups or associations of families or professionals focused on helping individuals with special needs. Talks can be in-person or virtual, a presentation, a Q&A, or both.

 

Age Groups	Children Adolescents Adults
Health Services	Intellectual and Developmental Needs Special Needs Medical Dental
Payment Options	Managed Care Medicaid Medicare Self Pay
Language Spoken	American Sign Language (ASL) Spanish
Areas Served	State-Wide

Last Updated: 12/19/24