The New England Center for Children (NECC) is celebrating National Children’s Dental Health Month with a new partnership with the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) to deliver dental exams and preventative care for students with autism at NECC’s on-site dental clinic.
The Smigel Supersmile® Dental Clinic at NECC Southborough opened in September 2023. Through this new collaboration, pediatric dental residents from GSDM are gaining hands-on experience working under the supervision of the school’s faculty while providing essential dental services to NECC’s residential students.
“Access to care is a relevant topic when it comes to dentistry for people with special healthcare needs,” shared Mary Nell Cella, DDS, pediatric dentist and clinical instructor at BU’s GSDM. “It’s been really meaningful to provide comprehensive oral healthcare for NECC students in a setting that is comfortable and familiar to them.”
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, which is an opportune time to highlight oral health inequities for children with autism due to behavioral challenges that make traditional dental visits difficult or impossible. Bringing dental providers to the clinic at school has enabled students at NECC to finally have successful check-ups and dental care.
According to Dr. Cella, BU dentists will see many students every six months, while others will visit the clinic more frequently, such as every three months, or as part of a weekly desensitization process.
“The caregivers at NECC have been really helpful in facilitating weekly desensitization visits and we have found it has made quite the difference in behavior outcomes during our appointments,” she said.
Louis, the father of NECC student Asa, shared his experience: “The NECC dental clinic is a tremendous benefit to our son, who’s behavioral and communication issues have prevented him from receiving proper dental care for years. Asa places great trust in his teachers and being able to walk to a familiar setting makes the experience much more positive. NECC’s desensitization program and the on-site clinic are a game changer for our son’s dental and overall health.”
The BU GSDM is a premier academic dental institution promoting excellence in education, research, oral healthcare, and community service to improve the overall health of the global population. Dr. Cella, a Pittsfield, MA, native, has been working at BU and in the academic setting since finishing her residency in pediatric dentistry at BU in June 2024.
“We are honored to provide dental services to children with autism,” said Dr. Michelle Henshaw, professor of health policy & health services research and associate dean for global population health at GSDM. “Improving the overall health of our diverse population remains a key component of our school’s mission. Opening the eyes of future health care professionals to health disparities in our nation and around the world is a vital part of a complete education in dental medicine.”