Doctors and dentists
Special Needs Dentists in Los Angeles
Pediatric dentists, a hospital clinic and a dental school clinic across LA County whose own pages say they care for kids with special health care needs, plus how to choose, what sedation means and how to pay.
A special needs dentist in Los Angeles is usually a pediatric dentist who adapts care for kids with autism, sensory sensitivities or disabilities: get-to-know-you visits, a calmer room, extra time, and sedation or general anesthesia when a child can’t manage treatment awake. The 15 below say so on their own pages, from Glendale and Pasadena to Torrance, Long Beach and the Westside, including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and USC’s dental school. Prices vary by office; Medi-Cal includes dental care, and two offices here say they take it.
On this page
15 special needs dentists in Los Angeles
Ordered from the middle of LA outward: a hospital and a dental school first, then central and South LA, the Westside, Glendale and Pasadena, the Valley, the South Bay and Long Beach. Each one’s own pages say it treats children with special health care needs. Confirm insurance, sedation and wait times when you call.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Dentistry and Orthodontics
Los Feliz · 4650 Sunset Blvd #116, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Good for Kids with complex medical needs
CHLA’s dental division is a hospital-based practice of pediatric dentists, orthodontists and oral surgeons who also teach at USC’s dental school. Its chief, Dr. José Polido, lists oral health care for children with special health care needs and hospital pediatric dentistry among his clinical interests, and the division has studied sensory-adapted dental care for children with autism. Its orthodontists focus on cleft lip and palate and other craniofacial conditions. Doctors can refer, or call to ask how to get in.
- Hospital-based dental practice
- Special health care needs focus
- Cleft and craniofacial care
- Takes referrals from doctors
USC Pediatric Dentistry Clinic (Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry)
University Park · 925 W 34th St, Los Angeles, CA 90089
Good for Kids 1 to 12 who have Denti-Cal
USC’s dental school runs a pediatric clinic for children ages 1 to 12, including those with special needs, and its page says it accepts Denti-Cal (Medi-Cal Dental). It also says not every patient is right for the clinic, so call and describe your child first. Hours are weekdays 9 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Ages 1 to 12
- Accepts Denti-Cal
- Weekdays only
- Dental school clinic
dentistry.usc.edu (opens their site)213-740-0412On Summerground
Griffith Pediatric Dentistry
Los Feliz · 1860 N Western Ave #102, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Good for Kids with sensory sensitivities
Griffith’s team adjusts lighting and sound for sensory sensitivities, use special equipment and add support staff when a child needs it. Desensitization appointments spread an office tour, meeting the team and learning about the tools over several visits, and sedation can let a child relax or sleep. Its page lists autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and epilepsy among special health care needs and asks you to name your child’s condition when you book.
- Desensitization visits
- Lighting and sound adjusted
- Sedation to relax or sleep
- Board-certified pediatric dentists
griffithpediatricdentistry.com (opens their site)323-301-7125On Summerground
Party Time Children’s Dental
Koreatown · 2978 Wilshire Blvd #201, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Good for General anesthesia without a hospital trip
Party Time gives general anesthesia in its Koreatown office with a licensed anesthesiologist present, so most families skip a separate hospital or surgery center. Its page lists special needs, significant anxiety and very young age among the reasons, and says a lighter option like laughing gas is usually tried first. It welcomes Medi-Cal, PPO, HMO and union plans, its team speaks English and Spanish, and the office has free parking and wheelchair access.
- General anesthesia in the office
- Medi-Cal welcome
- English and Spanish
- Wheelchair accessible
partytimedental.com (opens their site)213-529-4010On Summerground
Sola Kids Dental & Orthodontics
South LA
Good for Saturday visits close to home in South LA
Sola’s special needs page names autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, sensory sensitivities and developmental differences. The team takes extra time to build trust, moves at your child’s pace and offers calm rooms, simple communication, gentle behavior guidance and scheduling that cuts wait times. Its four South LA offices are on S Main St, W Adams Blvd, S Western Ave near MLK and S Central Ave, and all are open Saturdays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Four South LA offices
- Open Saturdays
- Scheduling to cut wait times
- Autism, ADHD, Down syndrome
solakidsdental.com (opens their site)323-325-5641On Summerground
Smiles Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics
West LA · 10582 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Good for Kids who may need to sleep through treatment
Smiles plans each special needs visit with a phone call first and invites you to bring comfort items, even your child’s own toothbrush and toothpaste. Many kids come more often to build trust, with cleanings and X-rays introduced with a parent’s help. Its sedation suite runs from laughing gas and oral sedation to deep IV sedation or general anesthesia from a board-certified anesthesiologist, with a full anesthesia machine and monitors.
- Pre-visit phone call
- Laughing gas to general anesthesia
- Anesthesiologist in the office
- Autism, Down syndrome named
Silicon Beach Pediatric Dental
6167 Bristol Pkwy, Suite 106, Culver City, CA 90230
Good for Kids with complex medical or physical needs
Dr. Ray Klein (board-certified) and Dr. Hayley Botwin (board-eligible) see kids with autism, Down syndrome, ADHD, cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities, plus heart conditions, bleeding disorders or weakened immune systems. Depending on the child, care can start with a slow introduction over several visits, use different positioning or tools, or be planned with your child’s OT, behavior team or doctor. Most PPOs accepted; Spanish spoken.
- Slow start over several visits
- Works with OTs and behavior teams
- Most PPOs accepted
- Se habla español
sbpediatricdental.com (opens their site)310-329-9009On Summerground
Santa Monica Dentistry for Children
2825 Santa Monica Blvd #301, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Good for Westside families who need Saturday visits
This Santa Monica pediatric practice treats children with special health care needs and aims to be a dental home where treatment can be done safely, whatever a child’s developmental disability or health condition. Its special needs page is general, so ask about get-to-know-you visits and sedation when you call. Open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon.
- Saturday mornings
- Special needs dental home
santamonicadentistryforchildren.com (opens their site)310-453-0123On Summerground
Kusp Pediatric Dentistry
350 S Beverly Dr, Suite 350, Beverly Hills, CA
Good for Sensory-sensitive kids who may need IV sedation
Kusp offers special appointments for children with special health care needs and says it has experience with ADHD, autism and Down syndrome. For sensory issues the team can dim the lights or hand out sunglasses or ear plugs, and it reviews your child’s history, communication style and sensitivities before treatment. Sedation ranges from laughing gas and oral sedation, with parents allowed in the room, to IV sedation given in the office by an anesthesiologist.
- Special needs appointments
- Sunglasses and ear plugs
- IV sedation in the office
- Laughing gas and oral sedation
Glendale Children’s Dentistry
500 E Colorado St, Suite 201, Glendale, CA 91205
Good for Parents who want to stay in the room
Dr. Shakeh, a board-certified pediatric dentist, leads this central Glendale office, which says it welcomes every child and has extensive training in treating children with special needs. Parents are always allowed in the treatment room. Sedation is among its services, it takes most major dental insurance plans, and it asks for forms 24 hours ahead so the team can review them before your child’s visit.
- Parents always in the room
- Board-certified pediatric dentist
- Sedation offered
- Most major dental plans
818kidsdental.com (opens their site)818-531-7009On Summerground
The Tickled Tooth
1808 Verdugo Blvd, Suite 312, Glendale, CA 91208
Good for Families near La Cañada and Montrose
The Tickled Tooth is a pediatric dental and orthodontic practice serving Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge and La Crescenta-Montrose. For children with dental fear, anxiety, sensory sensitivities or special health care needs, it offers personalized accommodations and sedation options. Its site doesn’t spell out those accommodations, so ask what a first visit would look like for your child.
- Sensory accommodations
- Sedation options
- Orthodontics too
thetickledtooth.com (opens their site)818-790-6721On Summerground
Palm & Poppy Pediatric Dentistry
50 Alessandro Pl, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105
Good for Medically complex kids near Pasadena
Dr. Sun is a board-certified pediatric dentist who trained at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and still works there as an attending dentist, caring for medically compromised and special needs patients. Her Pasadena office has sensory-friendly rooms and offers desensitization visits so your child can meet the team and see the equipment at their own pace. For sedation the practice works with dental anesthesiologists, and the office is latex-free. Call or text to book.
- CHLA attending dentist
- Sensory-friendly rooms
- Desensitization visits
- Latex-free office
palmandpoppypediatricdentistry.com (opens their site)626-385-6107On Summerground
ABC Kids Dental Group
San Fernando Valley
Good for Valley kids who need to sleep through treatment
ABC Kids Dental Group offers IV sedation, which its page also calls general anesthesia, at its offices in Granada Hills, Pacoima, Sun Valley, San Fernando and Reseda. It’s meant for toddlers, kids with special health care or behavioral needs and kids who need a lot of work done in one visit. A licensed pediatric anesthesiologist gives and monitors the sedation after a full medical evaluation. Not every plan covers IV sedation; it takes CareCredit and offers flexible payment.
- Five Valley offices
- Pediatric anesthesiologist
- Treatment in one visit
- CareCredit accepted
abckidsdentalla.com (opens their site)833-522-2543On Summerground
Torrance Pediatric Dentistry + Orthodontics
3565 Torrance Blvd, Suite B, Torrance, CA 90503
Good for Kids who need treatment in a hospital
Dr. Richard Spaulding, a board-certified pediatric dentist who teaches in USC’s pediatric dental residency, says he is passionate about treating children with special needs. He is on the medical staff at Torrance Memorial, Little Company of Mary in Torrance and Children’s Hospital of Orange County, where he cares for children who need hospital anesthesia. The office also offers oral sedation and in-office anesthesia with a board-certified anesthesiologist, and has two disabled parking spaces out front.
- Hospital dentistry
- In-office anesthesia
- Oral sedation
- Disabled parking out front
Pediatric Dental Specialists
3320 N Los Coyotes Diagonal, Suite 200, Long Beach, CA 90808
Good for Long Beach kids with medical needs
This Long Beach practice says its philosophy is dental care and orthodontics for children, teens and people with special health care needs, and it has served the area for more than 30 years. Dr. Cha Ae (Gloria) Hur, who took over from a retiring Dr. Estela Sanchez, is board-certified in pediatric dentistry and has years of experience with children with special medical needs. Sedation is offered, and to make a first visit easier, young children get a storybook with their own name in it.
- Special health care needs focus
- Board-certified pediatric dentist
- Sedation dentistry
- A first-visit storybook with your child’s name
How to choose a special needs dentist
Start with a phone call, not an appointment. Tell the office your child’s diagnosis, how they communicate, what upsets them and what has helped before. Then ask:
- Do you offer get-to-know-you visits? Griffith, Palm & Poppy and Silicon Beach, among others here, let a child tour the office, meet the team and see the tools over one or more visits before any exam.
- What sedation do you offer, and who gives it? Ask whether a separate anesthesiologist will be there, and which California permit applies (see below).
- Where would my child have general anesthesia? In the office, or at a hospital or surgery center? If a hospital, which one, and how long is the wait for an operating room?
- Can I stay in the room? Glendale Children’s Dentistry, for one, always lets parents in.
- Is the office wheelchair accessible? Ask about parking and doorways, and whether your child can stay in their own wheelchair for part of the visit.
- When is it quietest? A first-of-the-day slot can mean less waiting and less noise.
- Do you take our insurance, or Medi-Cal?
If your child already sees an occupational therapist or a behavior therapist, ask them to help you practice the steps of a dental visit at home. Our guides to pediatric occupational therapy and in-home ABA therapy list LA providers.
In-office sedation or general anesthesia?
Offices here describe starting with the gentlest option that works. Kusp says it always chooses the most conservative option first, and Party Time says lighter options are usually tried before general anesthesia. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) groups protective stabilization, sedation and general anesthesia as advanced behavior guidance, and says the choice should come with informed consent: the risks, benefits and alternatives, explained to you.
- Laughing gas (nitrous oxide). Breathed in during treatment; your child stays awake and relaxed, and it wears off quickly.
- Oral sedation. A medicine by mouth, often with laughing gas. Kids get drowsy but can be woken easily, and Kusp notes it doesn’t work for every child.
- IV sedation or general anesthesia in the office. An anesthesiologist sedates your child, often to sleep, right in the dental office, so the work can be done in one visit. Smiles, Kusp, Party Time, ABC Kids Dental Group and Torrance Pediatric Dentistry describe this.
- General anesthesia in a hospital or surgery center. Treatment in an operating room. The AAPD calls hospitals and outpatient surgery centers the best setting for some children with urgent needs or complex medical conditions. CHLA’s dental division is hospital-based, and Torrance Pediatric Dentistry’s Dr. Spaulding treats children at Torrance Memorial, Little Company of Mary and Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Before any sedation, expect a health review, eating and drinking rules, and watching until your child is back to normal. The AAP and AAPD’s joint sedation guideline calls for a careful check of your child’s health beforehand, monitoring during and after, and recovery to their pre-sedation level of alertness before they go home.
Sedation permits in California
The Dental Board of California decides who may sedate children, and its rules changed on January 1, 2022:
- Minimal sedation for kids under 13, such as a single oral sedative, needs a Pediatric Minimal Sedation permit.
- Moderate sedation permits cover patients 13 and up. Sedating a child 7 to 12, or under 7, takes a separate pediatric endorsement for each age group.
- Deep sedation and general anesthesia permits issued since 2022 cover patients 7 and up. A child under 7 needs a permit holder with a pediatric endorsement.
- The same law added monitoring rules for moderate sedation, deep sedation and general anesthesia in children under 13.
Ask the office who will give the sedation or anesthesia and which permit that person holds, then look them up on the state’s license search. The Dental Board’s general anesthesia permit page explains the rules in full.
Paying for it: Medi-Cal Dental and insurance
If your child has Medi-Cal, dental care is part of it, through Medi-Cal Dental (many offices still call it Denti-Cal). Find a dentist who takes it with the state’s Find-A-Dentist search, or call the Medi-Cal Dental member line at (800) 322-6384, free, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In this list, Party Time Children’s Dental says it welcomes Medi-Cal, and USC’s pediatric clinic says it accepts Denti-Cal.
Some LA County children on Medi-Cal get dental care through a dental plan instead: DentaQuest, LIBERTY Dental Plan or Health Net. If that’s your child, call the plan to find or change a dentist; the state’s LA County dental plan flyer lists their numbers. Health Care Options (1-800-430-4263) can tell you which plan your child is in, and the Department of Managed Health Care (1-888-466-2219) helps when you can’t get through to the plan.
Hospital anesthesia through your medical plan. When your child’s condition means dental work has to be done under general anesthesia in a hospital or surgery center, California requires health plans (your medical plan, not a dental-only plan) to cover the anesthesia and the facility’s charges for children under 7, for anyone with a developmental disability, and for anyone whose health is compromised. The plan can require prior authorization, and it doesn’t pay the dentist’s own fee (Health and Safety Code 1367.71).
With private insurance, ask before treatment:
- Are you in network with our dental plan?
- Will sedation or general anesthesia be billed to our dental plan, our medical plan or to us? ABC Kids Dental Group notes that not every plan covers IV sedation.
- For hospital or surgery-center care, who bills for the dentist, the anesthesia and the facility?
- Can you give us a written estimate?
If your child is a regional center client, tell your service coordinator you’re looking for a dentist and ask which local dentists other families use. Our guide to LA’s regional centers explains how they work.
Questions parents ask
What is a special needs dentist?
A dentist, most often a pediatric dentist, who regularly treats patients with special health care needs and adapts the visit to them. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry defines special health care needs as any physical, developmental, mental, sensory, behavioral, cognitive or emotional impairment or limiting condition that needs medical management, health care intervention or specialized services. In practice that can mean get-to-know-you visits, a quieter room, more time, planning with your child’s other providers, and sedation when needed.
Will my child need general anesthesia for dental work?
Not necessarily. Many offices start with the gentlest approach that works: practice visits, a slow pace, laughing gas or oral sedation. General anesthesia usually comes up when a child needs a lot of treatment or can’t get through it safely awake. It can happen in some dental offices with an anesthesiologist, or in a hospital or surgery center, which the AAPD calls the best setting for some children with complex medical conditions. If your child does go under, ask what else can be done in the same session.
Which special needs dentists in Los Angeles take Medi-Cal?
In this list, Party Time Children’s Dental in Koreatown says it welcomes Medi-Cal, and USC’s pediatric dentistry clinic says it accepts Denti-Cal, Medi-Cal’s dental program. For more, use the state’s Find-A-Dentist search or call Medi-Cal Dental at (800) 322-6384. If your child is in an LA County dental plan (DentaQuest, LIBERTY Dental Plan or Health Net), call the plan instead. For teens 16 and up, UCLA’s Special Patient Care clinic also takes Denti-Cal.
What should I tell the dentist before the first visit?
Everything that helps the team plan: your child’s diagnosis and medical history, medicines and allergies, how your child communicates, sensory triggers like bright lights or loud sounds, and what went well or badly at past visits. Offices here ask for exactly this: Kusp reviews communication style and sensitivities before treatment, Griffith asks you to name your child’s condition when you book, and Smiles plans each visit with a phone call first. Bring a comfort item, and your child’s own toothbrush if it helps.
Where do teens with special needs go after the pediatric dentist?
Ask your pediatric dentist early; the AAPD recommends planning the move to an adult dental home so care isn’t interrupted. In LA, UCLA’s Special Patient Care clinic in Westwood sees patients from age 16 with severe medical, physical and cognitive conditions, offers IV sedation in the clinic or operating room and takes Denti-Cal, but its page warns of a 24- to 36-month wait for a first screening. USC’s Special Patients Clinic serves medically compromised and disabled patients and also takes Denti-Cal.
How we made this list
We searched the web for special needs, sedation and hospital dentistry for kids across LA County, then read each practice’s own pages. A practice made the list only if its own site says it treats children with special health care needs, autism, sensory needs or disabilities; reviews and directory listings didn’t count. Every detail comes from those pages or the official sources below, checked in October 2026.
No one paid to be on it. It’s information to start from, not medical or legal advice: check services, costs and coverage with each provider before you book. Spotted something out of date, or run a place that belongs here? Write to hello@summerground.com.
Sources
- Management of Dental Patients with Special Health Care Needs (AAPD)
- Behavior Guidance for the Pediatric Dental Patient (AAPD)
- Policy on Hospitalization and Operating Room Access for Oral Care (AAPD)
- Guidelines for Monitoring and Management of Pediatric Patients During Sedation (AAP and AAPD)
- General Anesthesia Permits (Dental Board of California)
- Moderate Sedation Permits (Dental Board of California)
- Pediatric Minimal Sedation Permit (Dental Board of California)
- Verify a License (California Department of Consumer Affairs)
- Medi-Cal Dental Member Contact Information (DHCS)
- Medi-Cal Dental Find-A-Dentist (DHCS)
- Dental Health Begins with Your Child’s First Tooth, Los Angeles County (DHCS)
- Special Patient Care (Hospital Dentistry), UCLA School of Dentistry
- Dental Care Services, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
- California Health and Safety Code 1367.71 (general anesthesia for dental care)