Access to dental care for people with complex conditions is the focus of a clinic operated by Case Western Reserve University's School of Dental Medicine.
The standalone clinic, at 9601 Chester Ave., covers 132,000 square feet and serves roughly 19,000 patients annually, including 11,000 Cleveland residents. Its rates are 40% to 60% lower than those at private practices, and it accepts Medicaid, according to the Health Education Campus.
Barriers to Dental Care
People with special health care needs can face barriers to dental care.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted dental services. Children with special health care needs can also face barriers to care.
Accreditation Rules and State Policy Catching Up
The timing also reflects a broader shift in how dental education itself is regulated. In November 2019, the Commission on Dental Accreditation established new national standards requiring that every U.S. dental school provide clinical training for predoctoral students in assessing and managing care for patients with special needs, including intellectual and developmental disabilities, as reported by The ASHA Leader. Before that rule change, many dental graduates entered the workforce with little or no formal clinical experience treating developmentally disabled patients.
Ohio has also moved to make specialized care more financially viable for providers. In February 2025, the Ohio Department of Medicaid adopted new administrative billing codes, including CDT code D9997 for special needs dental case management, aimed at increasing reimbursement for providers who care for patients with complex physical or developmental conditions, according to Oral Health Ohio. The policy shift addresses one of the central deterrents that has long kept private practices from taking on these patients.
Dental Care for Patients With Complex Conditions
The School of Dental Medicine describes its clinic as treating patients with complex conditions, according to Case Western Reserve University.
Specialized Dental Services in the Region
CWRU's Craniofacial Orthodontics Clinic offers orthodontic care to children with complex needs, including children with Down syndrome, autism, spina bifida or other complicating factors. MetroHealth separately says its hospital-based dental program treats patients with complex medical and developmental needs. The Land reported that a separate MetroHealth Dental Sedation Clinic opened Nov. 30, 2023, at 3701 Lorain Ave. in Ohio City as a MetroHealth and Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities effort focused on people with developmental disabilities.
Dental School Leadership
Dr. Kenneth B. Chance Sr. was a former dean of CWRU's dental school, according to Case Western Reserve University. Chance facilitated the design and construction of CWRU's Health Education Campus, according to the university.
The new CWRU center is set to open its doors in early 2027.
