Funding Boost to Enhance Dental Care for Patients with Special Needs.
Dental schools, nonprofit organizations, and individual dentists across 10 California counties have been awarded a total of $47.2 million in grant funds to expand and develop specialty dental clinics. The funding, provided through the Specialty Dental Clinic Grant Program, aims to improve access to oral health care for patients with special health care needs.
The California Health Facility Financing Authority allocated the grants to 13 projects, which will use the funds to develop or enhance approximately 124 dental operatories, surgery suites, and other treatment spaces. The recipients include dental school clinics, community health centers, and private practices operating in both urban and rural regions, spanning from Butte County in the north to Imperial County near the Mexican border in the southeast.
The initiative, proposed by the California Dental Association (CDA) in 2022, faced challenges in securing its designated state budget funds. However, CDA successfully advocated to preserve the funding, ensuring its full implementation.
Addressing a Longstanding Crisis in Dental Care
Limited access to specialized dental care for patients with disabilities and complex medical conditions has been a persistent issue in California. Despite efforts to expand services under the Medi-Cal Dental Program, many patients still struggle to find suitable facilities. Some must travel long distances, while others endure years-long waits for routine dental care due to a shortage of appropriately equipped clinics.
CDA President Max Martinez, DDS, emphasized the significance of the grant program, stating, “The Specialty Dental Clinic program is going to transform dental care for patients with special needs in California. We have a dire need for more facilities that are equipped to serve individuals of all ages who require accommodations that traditional dental offices cannot provide. CDA and our advocacy partners fought hard to maintain every dollar of the proposed funding for this program.”
