ATSU-ASDOH to host program aimed at enhancing dental care for patients with special needs
Posted: July 30, 2025
A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH) in Mesa, Arizona, will host its inaugural Inclusive Dentistry & Oral Health Immersion Program this November.
Developed in conjunction with Delta Dental of Arizona, this intensive three-day continuing education program will provide hands-on training to meet the needs and demands of dental healthcare teams (dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and front desk staff) who wish to enhance their knowledge and skills in caring for individuals with special health care needs, including those with disabilities and those who are frail and medically compromised older adults. The program will include observation, chairside opportunities, and live-patient direct care.
“At ATSU-ASDOH, we are not just educating future clinicians; we are shaping a more inclusive future for healthcare,” said Desmond Gallagher, BDS, ATSU-ASDOH dean. “Our collaboration with Delta Dental of Arizona drives this mission and demonstrates our belief education in care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities should be accessible to oral healthcare providers in our community, enhancing access to care. Through our immersive program, we aspire to make this compassionate approach the standard, not the exception.”
In addition to supporting this first-ever training program, in 2024, Delta Dental of Arizona added a Special Health Care Needs dental benefit to most of its dental plans. It covers additional dental visits and up to four dental cleanings per benefit year as well as treatment delivery modifications and the use of anesthesia when necessary to provide dental care.
“Arizona’s community health dentists and local nonprofits often face challenges when it comes to accessing dental training and continuing education,” said Michael Jones, president and chief executive officer of Delta Dental of Arizona and chair of the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation board, who last year funded 15 scholarships for Arizona dental providers to take part in the intensive special needs training program through the New York University Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities. “We are proud to support A.T. Still University in bringing the first-ever special needs training for dental providers and community nonprofits to the Western United States.”
ATSU-ASDOH’s Inclusive Dentistry & Oral Health Immersion Program will be held Nov. 5-7, 2025, on ATSU’s Mesa, Arizona, campus. For more about the program, visit our website and click the “Submit Information” link. Additional information, including the application process and cost, will be shared in August.