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Special Care Dentistry Symposium

Special Care Dentistry Symposium

Saturday, April 26, 2025
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Central Valley Regional Center

The Special Care Dentistry Symposium is a premier event dedicated to advancing the knowledge, skills, and collaboration necessary to improve oral health outcomes for individuals with special healthcare needs. This symposium brings together dental professionals, educators, caregivers, and advocates to address the unique challenges and opportunities in providing dental care for diverse populations, including individuals with disabilities, complex medical conditions, and the aging population.

Through a series of expert-led presentations, attendees will gain valuable insights into cutting-edge research, innovative care models, and practical strategies to enhance patient-centered care. This event is designed to foster collaboration and inspire action, uniting professionals who are passionate about delivering equitable and inclusive dental care.

Who Should Attend?

  • Dentists and Dental Hygienists
  • Dental Hygienists in Alternative Practice
  • Dental Assistants and Office Managers
  • Educators and Students in dental and healthcare fields
  • Anyone passionate about improving access to dental care for underserved populations

Continuing Education Credits:

The symposium offers a total of 6 Continuing Education (CE) credits.


Pricing:

  Early-Bird Registration:
ENDS Monday, April 7
Regular Registration:
 
CDHA Member $140 $160
CDHA Student Member $50 $50
Non-Member $160 $180
Student Non-Member $70 $70

REGISTER ONLINE

By completing your registration, you agree to the following refund and cancellation policy:

  • All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing via email to memberservices@cdha.org.
  • Cancellations received on or before Monday, April 7, will receive a full refund.
  • Cancellations received between April 8 and April 18 will incur a $15 cancellation fee.
  • No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after April 18.

Event Agenda:

Time Presentation Speaker(s)
8:00 am – 8:30 am Breakfast & Check-In  
8:30 am – 9:45 am Welcome  
BCBA Presentation Brittany Frank
RDHAP Presentation (1 CE) Rachel Doherty
9:55 am – 12:10 pm Teledentistry: Improving Oral Health of People with Developmental Disabilities (2 CEs) Dr. Paul Glassman
12:10 pm – 1:10 pm LUNCH  
1:20 pm - 4:30 pm Equipping Yourself to Be A Special Needs Warrior (3 CEs) Dr. Jacob Dent
4:45 pm – 5:00 pm Closing remarks Raffle?  


Course Overview and Objectives:

There has been increasing interest over the last several years in using teledentistry systems to reach people who are not having regular dental care. There is increasing interest and experience in using teledentistry systems to improve oral health of people with developmental disabilities. This presentation will provide an overview of the development of teledentistry in the oral health industry and specific information for working with people with developmental disabilities in the California Regional Center System.

 

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to

  1. Describe a variety of ways that teledentistry can be used in the delivery of oral health care.
  2. Discuss the trends in expansion of use and adoption of teledentistry in oral health care.
  3. List some ways that teledentistry may help practices reach and provide oral health care for people with developmental disabilities in their communities.

Presented by: Paul Glassman, BA, DDS, MA, MBA

The Forger family picture Dr. Glassman devoted his early career to providing oral health care to people with complex medical, physical, psychological, and social conditions. He directed a hospital-based general practice residency program in San Francisco for two decades before joining the faculty at the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry (Pacific) in 1989 and founding Pacific’s Advanced Education Program in General Dentistry. In the 1990s he founded the Pacific Center for Special Care, a research and policy center dedicated to improving the oral health of the underserved. Under his direction, the center has received over $20 million in grants and contracts to carry out demonstration projects and develop policy papers that are influencing the development of oral health care systems in California and across the nation. Dr. Glassman has also served on many national and state boards and panels, including the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) Committee on Oral Health Access to Services, which produced the IOM report, Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations, and DentaQuest Institute’s board of directors.

It doesn’t matter your experience or training; everyone has questions and fears when it comes to treating patients with special needs. Dr. Dent breaks down these common barriers for dental providers by equipping you with the knowledge and how to in a fun and practical way that will build your confidence and empower you to be a special needs warrior in your practice.

 

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to

  1. Define various forms of special needs and their common characteristics.
  2. Understand associated behaviors and dental concerns of each covered disability.
  3. Determine the best treatment options for each special needs patient based on individual disability and level.

Presented by: Jacob R. Dent, DDS

The Forger family picture Dr. Jacob Dent is an outside the box general dentist and speaker. In practice for 22 years and a multi practice owner, Dr. Dent has built a successful career treating patients of all ages and disabilities in a non-conventional way using desensitization. Dr. Dent is a fellow of Academy of Dentistry International, clinical director for Special Olympics Special Smiles, Clinical Assistant Professor at UTSD-Houston, and Co-founder of the Dental Desensitization System. Dr. Dent is married to his wife Jennifer, father to his daughter Jayden, and son Ethan, who has Autism. As a professional speaker, Dr. Dent has given presentations and workshops around the country for the past 9 years to dental professionals, health care providers, dental students, and families.

Vendor Opportunities:

Learn more and sign up to be a vendor at Special Care Dentistry Symposium Marketplace.

VENDOR APPLICATION

If you would like information about sponsoring, please contact Melissa Massetti at cdc@cdha.org


Thank You to Our Sponsor

Thank You to Our Annual Sponsors

 

Corporate Sponsor (singular)
Dental Post sm
California Casualty
onDiem
Proclaim Health