A new dental clinic is nearing completion on the Shadow Lane campus — specifically designed and built to serve one of the state’s most underserved populations: patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It will also serve children born with cleft palate and craniofacial anomalies.
Nevada has long lacked adequate dental services for people with complex physical and developmental conditions, according to Dr. James Mah, dean of the School of Dental Medicine. Thousands of patients in Southern Nevada rely on wheelchairs or gurneys, he says. If they can’t easily move to the dental chair, they can’t go to a traditional dental clinic. In addition, some patients, such as those with significant sensory disorders, require anesthesia for their routine dental care
These factors pose fundamental barriers to dental care, Mah says, but that’s about to change. UNLV's new clinic is slated for completion this summer and is being purpose-built to better serve these patients.
It will include an operatory with no traditional dental chair to accommodate wheelchairs and gurneys as well as extra-wide doors and corridors. And, all of the treatment rooms are anesthesia-ready.
An opportunity for teaching
Many dentists receive limited education on treating patients with developmental disabilities, sensory processing issues, communication challenges, behavioral and emotional regulation difficulties, and other complex medical needs.
This may make them reluctant to accept these patients or render them unable to provide appropriate care.
In addition to expanding treatment options to the community, the clinic will serve an educational purpose. UNLV dental students and residents will gain hands-on experience treating patients with special needs. Once they graduate, they will be familiar with specialized equipment and increase the ranks of compassionate and competent practitioners able to care for disabled patients in the region.
“We’re preparing our students for real-world complexity,” Mah says. “And in the process, we’re transforming the standard of care in Nevada.”
Care for patients with cleft palate and craniofacial anomalies
The new dental clinic also will revive another vital service: treatment for infants born with cleft palate or other craniofacial anomalies. Before the pandemic, a team at UNLV provided this care, but the effort lost state financial support during COVID-19 and was ultimately shuttered.
That left families scrambling for care out of state, often traveling to Los Angeles.
“We’re talking about some of the most vulnerable infants in the state,” Mah says. “One in 500, about 57 babies, are born every year in Nevada with these conditions, and the care for each of these children costs over $100,000.
"Most families simply can’t afford that,” he says, noting that some families reported sleeping in their cars outside hospitals when they had to travel for their child's treatment.
Nevada is one of only two states in the U.S. with no access to a formal cleft palate and craniofacial team. The other is Alaska. Mah recently testified before the Nevada Senate Finance Committee to underscore the urgency for funding the specialized care team.
In a huge win for UNLV, Gov. Joe Lombardo signed SB 280 into law on June 9, 2025. This restores funding to the cleft palate and craniofacial team at the UNLV School of Dental Medicine and gives the school the financial support it needs to care for this vastly underserved population in Nevada.
Commitment to the Southern Nevada community
If a community is measured by how it cares for its most vulnerable, this clinic is a significant and impactful step in the right direction. It is a reflection of UNLV’s stewardship value and its mission to serve the local community.
In September, the team plans to celebrate its grand opening featuring the leaders who made its construction possible and families whose lives will be transformed by the care provided there.
About the UNLV Dental Clinic Construction Project
The UNLV School of Dental Medicine's new clinic construction project was led and managed by UNLV’s Planning and Construction team. The project includes:
- Eight operatories, including one with no traditional dental chair to accommodate wheelchairs and gurneys
- Extra-wide doors and corridors for accessibility
- Anesthesia-ready treatment rooms with plumbed-in gases
- Anti-microbial lighting to help prevent the spread of germs
- Three separate reception areas, including one specifically for patients with special needs
The new clinic is purpose-built into a renovated space that once served as the dental school’s clinical business office (which has also been moved to a space better suited for its needs). To complete the renovation, the team removed walls, squared off corners, and installed everything necessary for the School of Dental Medicine to serve people with more care needs than traditional patients.
With upgraded UNLV-standard finishes throughout, the facility will be equipped with advanced technology to support the delivery of specialized procedures.
Other key additions include a private consultation room, a dedicated, private waiting area, and self-check-in kiosks for a streamlined patient experience.
Ron Singer, senior project manager, noted that final installations of furniture and equipment are scheduled for mid- to late July. “Part of the project is funded through grants that must be spent by July 31, making coordination between the construction schedule and funding requirements a critical part of the process,” Singer says.
In addition to the operatories, the new floor plan includes a consultation room, a break room, and a movable air wall to allow the flexibility of two individual rooms or one larger room to accommodate large meetings or training sessions.
