Providing dental care for patients with special health care needs requires adaptations to routine dental
procedures that allow for those procedures to be completed. It also requires working with the patient or
their care giver to develop innovative methods of performing daily oral care. Each patient's treatment
plan begins with a thorough evaluation of their medical and dental history along with the nature of their
special need. Oral and radiographic (x-ray) examinations are completed as much as the patient's
circumstances will allow. Finally, consultation with their physician or evaluation of laboratory data is
performed as needed.

Treatment modifications for patients with special health care needs include accommodating to their
special physical, emotional and psychological needs. This may involve physical accommodations to allow
for wheelchair use or transfer to the dental chair. It may also involve modification of their daily
medication therapy or physiological monitoring in order to assure their safety during the dental
procedure.

For those patients unable to tolerate dental care due to anxiety, inability to remain still or inability to
understand or comprehend instructions, conscious sedation or general anesthesia is used to enable the
patient to receive comprehensive dental care all the while remaining safe and comfortable. Patient
safety is our utmost concern. When general anesthesia is used, a separate board certified
anesthesiologist is present to ensure patient safety and to monitor the patients during the dental
procedure.