Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Jacob Dent.
Dr. Jacob, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In 2003, I graduated from LSU Dental School. In 2004, my son Ethan was born, and I started my private practice in Louisiana. In 2005, Hurricane Rita destroyed my office which forced me to move to Houston in 2006. Later that year, my son was diagnosed with autism and turned my world upside down. After working for another group practice for five years, I opened Sugar Land Modern Dentistry in 2011.
Through my own personal struggles with being a parent of a special needs child, I began to see the unmet and growing need for dental services for people with all forms of physical and intellectual disabilities. I focused my practice on being a comprehensive dental practice with general dentists as well as all the dental specialists in one office.
We do annual community service projects that support different groups and organizations like our Veterans Serve Day. In 2016, I remodeled half of my dental office to be sensory integrated. It offers a space that is both accessible to those with physical disabilities but also offers a safe space for families to come and be part of the dental experience with their kids.
For the past three years, I have been taking both my personal and professional experience with special needs and traveling around the country educating both dental professionals and caregivers. I have had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest people and minds in the world of special needs.
I am also the Clinical Director from Special Olympics Texas and Louisiana Special Smiles program that helps screen and educate the special Olympic athletes in both states. Currently, I practice in both Louisiana and Texas every week and have limited my personal practice to just treating patients with special needs.
Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth is never a word used to describe the world of special needs. There are always walls and roadblocks that prevent you from getting to where you want to be. Personally, I went through the difficulties of a divorce which is never easy, but from that, I met and married my wife Jennifer who has been my biggest supporter for all of my professional goals and who is the rock of our blended family.
Professionally, the biggest struggle with being a special needs dentist is the lack of time and money. Treating people with disabilities takes more time, and that is something that many professionals are not willing to give up because you are not reimbursed for the extra time it takes to manage some of the difficulties and behaviors that come with treating special needs patients.
That translates into making less money because you can’t see as many patients. For me personally, I had to make the decision that being a leader in the field of special needs dentistry and offering something that nobody else was willing to offer was worth more than just money. That’s what I want my legacy to be.
As far as treating patients with disabilities, it isn’t glamorous. I’ve been bitten, kicked, punched in the face, cursed out, thrown up on, and even had a patient pee on me. Let’s just say that if you don’t have a true heart for this population, then you will never do it.
We’d love to hear more about your practice.
My dental practice offers comprehensive dental treatment for the entire family and patients of all ages. We have four general dentists, three hygienists, and all of the dental specialties in office including an orthodontist, oral surgeon, periodontist, endodontist, and a prosthodontist.
I personally focus my practice to just patients with special needs. I treat patients with autism, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, dementia, and Alzheimer’s just to name a few. I see both kids and adults and what sets us apart is that we focus our dental visits around desensitization and not sedation.
I am most proud that my practice and staff have a servants heart. We do four annual We Serve projects that have included everything from our Veterans Serve Day where we raise money and donate to local veteran’s organizations and then offer free dental services for those Vets in need to working with local schools to raise needed school supplies.
The biggest thing that sets us apart is that we are patient-centric and focused. We focus on providing the highest quality dental treatment while ensuring our patients are treated just like we would treat our own families.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Sugar Land has been a great place to start my dental practice. It is a growing area, and for us, we have patients coming from several hours away because of our special needs program.
I would recommend any business to look at starting out here.
Contact Info:
- Address: Sugar Land Modern Dentistry and Orthodontics
- Website: www.sugarlandmoderndentistry.com
- Phone: 832-595-2100
- Email: specialneedswarriordoc@gmail.com
- Instagram: @specialneedswarrior
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/JacobDentDDS
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
