Treating Patients with Developmental & Acquired Disabilities

Web page in development

Webpage under construction

Information on work on project to bring more dentists to opening their practices to treating patients with special needs. That this work for each patient and the dental team is a case by case basis.  That with more education, experience, and the openings of more dental offices to explore treating these patients all patients who need dental accommodations may find a dental home.

This webpage is under development and construction.  No information on this page is endorsed or verified by any outside organization. 

Detroit District Projects currently in development for Treating Patients with Special Needs.

  • Dental Directory Sign-Up List - see below - dental offices willing to take inquiries for patients who may need dental accommodations in treatment of patients with special needs. This would be public accessible directory. 
  • Dental Interest survey - see below
  • Resource Page - in development please sign up on interest page to received announcement of resource page when published. 
  • Video from January 14, 2025 Panel - joint meeting with Wolverine Dental Society - in editing.  Will be posted by 5/15/26
  • Volunteer Sign-up form - see below

Disclaimer Statement: This information is being provided for dental professionals to discuss and work on education and future training to expand training for serving dental patients with special needs. 

The content displayed on the website is the intellectual property of the Detroit District Dental Society. You may not reuse, republish, or reprint such content without our written consent. All information posted is merely for educational and informational purposes. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Should you decide to act upon any information on this website, you do so at your own risk.

While the information on this website has been verified to the best of our abilities, we cannot guarantee that there are no mistakes or errors. We reserve the right to change this policy at any given time, of which you will be promptly updated. If you want to make sure that you are up to date with the latest changes, we advise you to frequently visit this page.

Videos for Dental Professionals on Patient Accommodations and Treating Patients with Special Needs

ADA 

 

Video non-ADA organizations

Catapult Education

 

NYU Dentistry

If I can get 10% of our student body to be as passionate as I am about treating people with disabilities, then I've done my job here at NYU."

Ron Kosinski, DMD, shares his passion for educating students to treat people with physical and cognitive disabilities with confidence and competence at the NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities.      https://youtu.be/GsMY6a6tB2s?si=9JEVCVin4kXOVk0y

Volunteer Sign-up for Task Force Feb-June Planning Committee Expanding Training Information for Treating Dental Patients with Special Needs

Goal: to define next steps for the Detroit District Dental Society to bring information, training, and collaboration to increase skills of the dental professional community to work with a greater number of patients with special needs. 

This task force will review submitted ideas from collaborating organizations, brainstorm, analyze programs from other states and define potential next steps for the Detroit District Dental Society to bring more information, resources, and training to our dental community. 

Volunteer Form Special Needs Project

Link to form for Dental Interest in next step in this project. Need name for this form.

Survey on dental interest in project of Special Needs Patient

Creation a public online director of dental office that will explore working with patients with special needs.  The Detroit District is collecting names to create an online directory or expand an initial directory with information available to the public on receiving patients with special needs.  This survey will not obligate any office to be published on this list but collect data for further development.  The final ideas and format will be sent and confirmed in writing before any listing is made available to the public.

Survey for dental office listing of services to treat patients with special needs.

Dental Resources and Projects in Development

The Detroit District is working with many collaborators to be a gathering place for new resources and share information.

Detroit District Dental Society Educational Program Ideas
  • Seminar for Office Managers, Dentists, etc - Insurance codes and tips for billing when treating patients who need dental accommodations. This would be with the major insurance carriers and discuss what exists today, tips, Q & A, and preview to what may be happening the future.
  • Practical techniques, tools, real life patient treatment examples - Dr. Craig Spangler
  • Joint meeting with three partner organizations on techniques, language, various tips for staff or Autism, blind, wheelchair assistance, deaf, and elderly patients.
  • Sample patient treatment plans - case scenarios
  • Making the decision for hospital sedation - discussion with your patient, caregiver, and alternatives.
Upcoming Resources for Delta Dental Foundation
NEW DENTAL CLINIC TOOLKIT: Coming soon from the Institute for Exceptional
Care - Access Smiles, a free dental clinic toolkit:
 Training for dental professionals
 Easy-to-use resources and toolkits on better care before, during, and after visits
 Recommendations on how to improve accessibility
 Incentives for practices that commit to improving care for people with IDD

NEW CE: Debuting in June 2026, a free CE on the Delta Dental platform, on how
to prepare patients with an intellectual/developmental disability (IDD) for dental
care in the clinic using desensitization visits featuring the “pause, modify, try
again” approach.
 Information on how to document the steps of a desensitization visit that can be
billed to Delta Dental commercial insurance.
 Describe sensory accommodations and behavioral strategies to improve patient
outcomes.
 Though demonstration videos, understand the role of board-certified behavior
analysts (BCBAs) in supporting dental teams through training in assent-based
care and desensitization techniques. Learn how to implement the “pause,
modify, try again” approach.