Special-needs patients often can’t find a dentist.
When we think of the phrase “special needs,” we think of autism and Down Syndrome.
Autism and Down Syndrome affect more children in the United States than any other intellectual or developmental disabilities.
But autism and Down Syndrome aren’t the only issues stopping patients from receiving quality oral care.
A Special-Needs Dentist Can Treat Much More Than Patients with Autism and Down Syndrome
Prader-Willi Syndrome is a condition that includes poor muscle development, overeating, obesity, and intellectual disabilities. Temper tantrums and defiance are also common.
A three-year-old boy in Brazil with Prader-Willi Syndrome had a lot of dental issues.
The boy’s mother brought him to a dental college clinic in Brazil. Because of her son’s challenges, other dentists had been unable to treat him, so the boy’s teeth were in bad shape.
The boy was tested to see if he was healthy enough to handle general anesthesia. Then he was sedated, allowing the dentist to provide the dental care the boy desperately needed.
A Home for Special-Needs Patients
So often, patients with special needs don’t receive the dental care they need because dentists themselves are reluctant to treat them. They don’t feel comfortable applying sedation, and they’re concerned about the patient’s issues.
This is understandable, but it also means special-needs patients often go without dental care.
We started Believe Dental to fill the gaps. Our founder, Dr. Melvin Shanley, was passionate about caring for the special-needs community based on the issues faced by his granddaughter, Penelope, who had Down Syndrome.
Since 1985, we’ve focused on treating the dental issues faced by the special-needs community, first in San Antonio, then expanding to Austin and Houston.
Today, Believe Dental has multiple dentists in all three cities providing quality dental care to those who have fallen through the cracks.
We offer all levels of sedation depending on the comfort level of the patient. We bring in a third-party anesthesiologist and an anesthesia tech. This is uncommon, but our top priority is the comfort of our special patients.
If you’ve been putting off dental care because of behavioral or difficult health conditions, give any of our offices a call. You can also fill out this form to schedule an appointment.