Dental Care Levels for CSHCN
Many children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) also have special
needs in dental care. The Medical Home Portal and dental care providers developed
the information here to describe levels of complexity in providing dental health for
CYSHCN.
Some Portal state partners surveyed regional dental care providers asking that they
self-identify the level of care they are able to provide. Responses are included in
the providers’ Services Directory listings.
The Portal recommends talking with a prospective dental care provider for more
information about their services and the insurance plans they accept. The
descriptions below may be helpful when talking to a practice, particularly if there
is no level listed in the Services Directory.
Dental Level 1
- A common diagnosis (conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), asthma, arthritis, depression, diabetes)
- Mild developmental delays
- No wheelchair, oxygen, or essential medical equipment
- Mild behavior problems or mental health issues
- No oral aversions
Dental Level 2
- A diagnosis that is likely to change how care is given (conditions such as Down Syndrome, hearing or vision impairment, cleft lip/palate)
- Moderate developmental delays
- Wheelchair, but no other essential medical equipment
- Moderate behavior problems or mental health issues
- Oral aversions requiring patient/parent management technique
Dental Level 3
- A diagnosis that affects communication with the patient and how care is given (conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury)
- Wheelchair and other essential medical equipment (oxygen, pumps, etc.)
- Moderate to severe behavior problems or mental health issues requiring sedation
- Oral aversions requiring sedation
Searching for Levels
If you are looking for a dentist who provides care at a specific level:
- Choose one of the "Services" below, such as "Pediatric Dentistry services providers";
- In the "Search" box, use quotation marks and type in the level, like "Level 3";
- In the results, you will have the option to enter a nearby city in the “City” box to refine results;
- Click on the service and check the description of services to see if it matches your needs.
Reminder: Dental Care Levels are only included for providers who have provided that
information to the Medical Home Portal. Other dentists may also provide care at
these levels for CYSHCN.
Resources
Services for Patients & Families in Montana (MT)
| Service Categories | # of providers* in: | MT | NW | Other states (4) (show) | | NM | NV | RI | UT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Care Expense Assistance | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | |||||
| General Dentistry | 259 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 30 | 136 | |||
| Oral Surgery | 22 | 7 | 11 | ||||||
| Orthodontics | 51 | 9 | 3 | 25 | |||||
| Pediatric Dentistry | 54 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 39 | 61 | |||
For services not listed above, browse our Services categories or search our database.
* number of provider listings may vary by how states categorize services, whether providers are listed by organization or individual, how services are organized in the state, and other factors; Nationwide (NW) providers are generally limited to web-based services, provider locator services, and organizations that serve children from across the nation.