The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Dental Medicine has launched its new Advanced Needs Dental Clinic, designed to cater to patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, geriatric residents, and those with special needs, including children born with craniofacial anomalies such as cleft palates.

The UNLV School of Dental Medicine has officially opened its Advanced Needs Dental Clinic, providing essential care for newborns and children with cleft lips and palates, as well as other patients with special needs. The clinic, located at 1700 West Charleston Blvd., replaces a previous facility that closed during the pandemic due to a lack of state funding. Thanks to Senate Bill 280, which allocated $1.3 million for the project, the clinic is now equipped to offer services at reduced or no cost.

Since the coronavirus pandemic, according to James Mah, the dean of UNLV’s School of Dental Medicine, it’s been difficult for families with children born with cleft palates and other craniofacial abnormalities to find care in Southern Nevada. That is, until this month when the school opened its new Advanced Needs Dental Clinic, which was renovated onto an existing dental school building at UNLV.

The UNLV School of Dental Medicine celebrated the opening of a new clinic that will serve patients with specialty needs, including cleft lips and palates.

Culture is a crucial aspect of dental practices for a number of reasons. It defines how practices operate and how they provide care to patients, according to dentists. Having a positive culture typically includes listening to patients, strong teamwork and freedom for employees to learn and improve.

A handful of public officials, healthcare providers, members of the community, and journalists sit quietly in one of the Southern Nevada Health District’s main meeting rooms. Eyes are directed toward a large screen displaying eight unique presentations, brimming with statistics and survey data.

The University of Nevada Las Vegas’ School of Dental Medicine is changing lives one smile at a time by providing affordable dental care to the Las Vegas community. Residents who have no insurance and need dental care can get it at the university for a fraction of the price.

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