VCU School of Dentistry opens Dr. Roger Wood Special Care Clinic
The new clinic will provide comprehensive oral health care to adult patients with disabilities and train dental professionals in special needs care.
August 14, 2025
Left to right: State Sen. Todd Pillion; Polly Raible, executive director of Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation; VCU School of Dentistry Dean Lyndon Cooper; VCU President Michael Rao; Karen Wood; Dr. Roger Wood; Vice Dean of VCU Dentistry Jeff Johnson, Secretary of Health and Human Resources Deputy Sec. Leah Mills; and State Sen. Lamont Bagby. (VCU School of Dentistry)
By Olivia Trani
Health leaders, government officials and community advocates convened at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Dentistry today for a celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony of the Dr. Roger Wood Special Care Clinic. The new clinic will provide comprehensive and compassionate care to individuals over the age of 18 with developmental and acquired disabilities, as well as train the next generation of oral health professionals in accommodating patients with special needs.
“With this facility, we will be able to expand our capacity to provide this much needed care to our community while our students also gain vital clinical experience they will carry throughout their careers,” said Lyndon F. Cooper, D.D.S., Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Dentistry. “This clinic represents a significant step forward in the school’s commitment to compassionate, person-centered care, and in our planning for a new School of Dentistry building, we look forward to making even greater strides for accessible care.”
People with disabilities, including cognitive and developmental conditions and physical challenges, make up one of the most underserved oral health populations across the country. In Virginia, only 56% of patients with developmental disabilities waivers had a dental exam in the past year, according to 2021-2022 data from the National Core Indicators. This is largely because few clinics have the expertise or equipment to accommodate their unique needs.
“Not many dentists have the confidence or training to treat adult patients with disabilities. At the same time, dental clinics can be a stressful, overwhelming space for patients and their families. It’s often a challenge to even get past the front door,” said Roger Wood, D.D.S., a retired pediatric dentist who dedicated his career to caring for patients with special needs regardless of their age.
For decades, Wood embraced his patients into their teens and adulthood, establishing a “practice within a practice” just for them at his dental office in Midlothian. As he approached retirement after more than 40 years of clinical care, nearly one-third of his time was spent treating this patient population.
He and his wife Karen Wood partnered with the School of Dentistry to not only continue their mission, but also equip more oral health professionals with the skillset to serve patients with disabilities. Through a transformative gift, the couple laid the foundation for a state-of-the-art clinic specifically designed to meet the unique needs of patients with disabilities and train students in accessible dental care.
“His legacy has touched so many people, and we were trying to figure out how we could keep this important work moving forward,” said Karen Wood, who is the director of operations for the Virginia Dental Association’s member perks program. “We are very grateful that the school has embraced this project, because they had the outreach and resources to make this vision a reality.”
“Adults with special care needs face even greater barriers to access care than children with special health care needs, particularly when they transition from pediatric to adult care,” said Elizabeth Bortell, D.D.S., associate professor and director of Special Care Dentistry at the School of Dentistry. “The Dr. Roger Wood Clinic will increase access to dental services for adult patients with disabilities and provide compassionate care in an accommodating environment.”
The clinic is designed to make the patient and caregiver experience as comfortable and calm as possible, with accommodations for the physical and emotional needs of patients with autism, developmental delays, and physical disabilities. This includes a dedicated building entrance near the clinic space, and accessibility features such as wheelchair lifts, bariatric chairs, two private treatment rooms with soothing adjustable multi-colored lighting, sound machines, and a projection screen. Weighted blankets, fidget aids, head and body pillows, mouth rests, sunglasses, and noise-cancelling headphones will also be available. The school partnered with Delta Dental Foundation of Virginia to procure adaptive equipment for the space.
The Dr. Roger Wood Special Care Clinic will provide comprehensive oral health care to patients with disabilities and train dental professionals. (VCU School of Dentistry)
Housed within the state’s only dental school, the clinic will provide dental and dental hygiene students with the training to deliver high-quality care to individuals with disabilities and advocate for their health needs. As part of their curriculum, students will be educated in didactic and clinical components focused on techniques for caring for adults with disabilities, helping them build confidence and competence in caring for this underserved patient population. This clinic serve will also serve a regional hub for continuing education, offering opportunities for practitioners from outside VCU to train and learn.
“Dental education is really pivoting to focus on teaching general dentists how to be a provider of care for people with disabilities and special health care needs. Now all of our dental and dental hygiene students will rotate through the clinic to receive exposure and training before they graduate,” said Jeff Johnson, D.M.D., vice dean and senior associate dean for clinical education at the School of Dentistry. “We are incredibly grateful for the Woods’ gift and collaboration, and we are excited by the potential impact of this clinic for oral health access in Virginia and across the country.”
The Dr. Roger Wood Special Care Clinic is currently offering intake appointments over telehealth for new patients, and will soon be scheduling in-person visits. Once fully operational, the clinic is estimated to see 500 unique patients and train 100 dental students and 20 dental hygiene students each year.
The School of Dentistry also intends to expand this clinic’s capacity for care in the coming years. In the school’s plans for a new dental education building, which will be considered by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and state lawmakers in early 2026, the clinic is expected to more than double its footprint and have even more accommodations for special dental care needs.
“As the only dental school in the state, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to do grand things for people and for the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Johnson said. “That is why we exist, and this clinic is another way the School of Dentistry is reaching out to our communities to do what we do best, which is taking care of people.”
