Special Care Unit opening at Dental Care West in Glendale

MESA, Ariz. (Aug. 28, 2008 ) – On Sept. 25, A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ASDOH) will celebrate the grand opening of the Thunderbirds Charities Special Care Unit at Dental Care West in Glendale, ASDOH’s second University-affiliated dental clinic.

The Thunderbirds Charities Special Care Unit at Dental Care West was made possible by a $150,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities and will provide comprehensive special care dentistry for patients with intellectual, physical, and emotional disabilities, as well as other special healthcare needs. Faculty-supervised student dentists will provide a wide range of dental services from exams and cleanings to root canals and dental implants. The unit will also be equipped with a motorized wheelchair lift to help make dental care more comfortable and accessible for patients.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity create a dental home for those patients with special needs who live in the West Valley,” said Maureen Romer, D.D.S., M.P.A., director of Special Care Dentistry at ASDOH. “We look forward to continuing to provide compassionate care to this vastly underserved population.”

ASDOH currently operates a special care suite at its Mesa dental clinic, and is looking forward to re-creating this successful model in Glendale.

“Families of patients with special needs experience added financial and emotional stress due to the costs and additional challenges accompanying healthcare visits,” said Jack Dillenberg, D.D.S., M.P.H., ASDOH dean. “Thanks to Thunderbirds Charities, ATSU is able to expand its reach from the East Valley to the West Valley and continue to help patients and their families.”

The grant to ATSU-ASDOH helps Thunderbirds Charities fulfill its mission of assisting children and families, helping people in need, and improving the quality of life in Arizona. Thunderbirds Charities was established for the purpose of distributing money to local charitable causes, most of which is raised through the FBR Open in Scottsdale each winter along with direct gifts to the organization.