Across Indiana, many adult patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, chronic illnesses and complex medical conditions face long drives, long waits, and limited oral healthcare options. The new Delta Dental Special Care Clinic at the IU School of Dentistry aims to address that need by preparing future dentists to provide specialized care in their own communities after graduation.
“What makes this new clinic unique is the focus on education and training to expand access to care, not just providing dental care here and now,” said Dr. Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch, dean of the dental school.
“Our goal is to ensure every IU School of Dentistry graduate has the requisite knowledge, experience, confidence, and skills to provide care in the community for patients who require modified approaches to ensure their safety, comfort, and treatment efficacy,” she explained. Patients' complex medical conditions and abilities to tolerate dental procedures present challenges students must learn to manage effectively.
At IU Health University Hospital and the school's oral surgery clinic, Drs. Pamela Linder and Christine Downey see some of the state’s most vulnerable patients—including patients with complex medical conditions such as cancer or organ transplantation and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Together, they have provided oral healthcare for thousands of patients from across Indiana, including remote rural communities. Dental students observe and assist with care in both locations. The new clinic, however, allows expanded training and additional hands-on experience.
“They—Drs. Linder and Downey—are the best,” said Bill Ledger, who travels from Fort Wayne to Indianapolis, bringing his 25-year-old adult son with physical and cognitive disabilities to see Dr. Linder and her students. “We’ve talked to Dr. Linder about how this type of care is such a big need in our state. While she is wonderful, she can only do so much. We hope that others are willing to participate in helping the special needs community.”
Judy Hacker also brings her 35-year-old son with physical and cognitive disabilities to IU School of Dentistry for routine dental care. After he aged out of Riley Children’s Health, options for his care were limited.
“It’s very scary as a parent when this happens. You’ve had such complete care, and then you don’t know where to go,” Hacker said. “It takes about an hour to clean my son’s teeth—something that is normally a 15-minute process. There’s a hygienist, dentist, and assistant—all talking to him, playing music, positioning him, and giving him a break when needed. And I’m there to hold his hand, too.”
According to Holli Seabury, Ed.D., executive director of the Delta Dental Foundation, the foundation’s goal was to create an intentional space designed for patient comfort and care while providing students with a state-of-the-art facility in which to learn. Students will now have a large clinic housed within the school.
“Students learn best when they work directly with patients and can gain a better understanding of their unique needs,” Seabury said. “By creating this clinic and making disability care a priority for every student, the School of Dentistry is setting a standard for what dental education can and should be.”
The clinic will increase student opportunities to develop communication and patient management skills, gain specialized medical knowledge and treatment strategies, and better understand what they will need in their own practices to care for these patients throughout their careers.
Fourth-year DDS student Alex Kem believes the clinic will equip students with the confidence and experience needed to carry into their dental practices and careers, leading to a reduction in barriers to oral healthcare access.
“This clinic is going to do so much more than provide dental care,” Kem said. “It is going to tell individuals with special needs and their families that they belong here, that their oral health matters, and that they deserve the same quality of care as anyone else. The impact will extend far beyond this clinic and could change how an entire generation of dentists serves this community.”
Second-year DDS student Brianna Ritchey, who leads the Special Care Dentistry Club at IU School of Dentistry, says that nearly 30 percent of Hoosiers have a disability. She believes students will be uniquely positioned to address this population’s oral healthcare needs after graduation, closing accessibility gaps for patients.
“Having our own clinic is such a privilege,” Ritchey added. “Not every dental school in the U.S. is fortunate enough to have their own special care clinic, and having this opportunity at IUSD gives our degree an added distinction.”
Murdoch-Kinch hopes some graduates will eventually become specialists in caring for patients with disabilities and medically complex conditions. Others will practice in communities throughout Indiana, helping reduce barriers to care closer to home.
“Thanks to this clinic, all students will leave better prepared to serve every patient who walks through their doors,” she said. “That impact will extend far beyond this facility and across Indiana for generations to come.”
Learn more about the Delta Dental Special Care Clinic on the clinic web page:
Delta Dental Special Care Clinic