Dental visits can be stressful and intimidating for many of us, and it gets even more challenging for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) who may need accommodations to see a dentist. That’s why people with IDD experience worse oral health outcomes and untreated dental problems.

We’re excited to share a new initiative: Access Smiles, a program that will make it easier for dental professionals to deliver inclusive, high-quality care for people with IDD.

Access Smiles will include:

• Training for dental professionals
• Easy-to-use resources and toolkits on better care before, during, and after visits
• Recommendations on how to improve accessibility
• Incentives for practices that commit to improving care for people with IDD

We’re working to make inclusive dental care the standard.