A donor with a personal connection helps start an innovative program

A new Fellowship in Special Care Dentistry has been established at the Faculty of Dentistry, thanks to a gift.

The generous donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has a personal connection to special-needs patients.

“My sister, who passed away several years ago, was a special- needs person,” says the donor. “My parents had always planned for her future to ensure she was taken care of, so I felt some of the funds should go to a program that means a lot to our family. It’s our way of honouring my sister and her legacy.”

The funding will support the education and training of a fellow at the Faculty of Dentistry and the Dental Care for Complex Patients clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital, where the donor’s sister often received treatments.

The donor recognizes the need to help the special-needs population, whom they say is overlooked.

“While the government provides some support for special- needs patients, it often doesn’t sufficiently pay those who treat these patients to reimburse them for the added time, patience and, often, cost,” they say. “As a result, general practitioners often send these patients to clinics like Sinai’s.”

The donor hopes this fellowship will help ensure there are more dentists trained to see special-needs patients. Over time, fellows’ competencies will increase and they can pass on knowledge to colleagues. These dentists, in turn, may feel more comfortable offering routine care to these patients instead of referring them to a hospital.

This would also reduce the strain on patients, who often need to travel several hours for one appointment at a specialized clinic. Getting more care close to home is better for everyone.

“We were lucky growing up in Toronto, because we had a hub of dentists we could access for my sister, but it was through much research and frustration,” the donor says. “It wasn’t easy to find a place and practitioner who was willing and able to deal with special-needs patients. It’s a specific skill set to understand what these patients are faced with, be equipped with techniques for providing care, and be aware of how this impacts family members and caregivers as well.”

The donor feels fortunate to have the ability to give this gift and encourages others to think about the impact they can make through a donation of their own.

“I realized I was able to do all of these things — go to dental school, be a specialist — and my sister wasn’t given the opportunity for any of that,” they say. “We all have some responsibility to the people we treat, and to advocate for those who don’t have the voice to do so themselves. Special-needs families deserve to get the care they need — and it’s our responsibility to find a way to make this possible.”

Photo: A special needs patient gets care at Mount Sinai (courtesy of Mount Sinai Dentistry Department)

Interested in more stories? Read the PDF edition of the U of T Dentistry Magazine Summer/Fall 2024 Issue