Special Needs Dental Care and Oral Surgery in Pomona, CA
At Kids Dental Castle & Orthodontics, we believe every child deserves a positive and comfortable dental experience. We provide individualized dental care for children with special healthcare, developmental, behavioral, or sensory needs.
Our team takes the time to understand your child’s unique needs, comfort level, and communication preferences so we can adapt their dental visit whenever possible.
Our anesthesia team provides care at our Pomona office. The team includes Elite Sedation providers, Dr. Vy Le, and Dr. Ji Yoon Choi.
They also speak Farsi, Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Vietnamese. Dr. Elmasri speaks Arabic,Dr. Lee speaks Mandarin and Cantonese, Dr. Kang and Dr. Choi speak Korean, and Dr. Vy, also a dental anesthesiologist here, speaks Vietnamese. That matters more on this page than on any other. Consenting to general anesthesia for a child who cannot tell you how he feels afterward is already the hardest conversation in dentistry; having it in your second language should not be part of the difficulty. Tell us your language when you call and we will tell you what we can arrange. Our front desk works in English and Spanish.
Who We Care For
We welcome children with a wide range of special healthcare needs and understand that every child may require a different approach to dental care.
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Developmental or intellectual disabilities
• Sensory sensitivities
• ADHD or behavioral challenges
• Physical or mobility limitations
• Medical conditions that may affect dental treatment
• Children with significant dental anxiety or difficulty tolerating traditional dental visits
How We Make Dental Visits More Comfortable
Small adjustments can make a significant difference in a child’s dental experience. Depending on your child’s individual needs, our team may modify the pace, environment, communication style, and approach to treatment.
• Extra time to become comfortable with the dental environment
• A patient and gradual approach to treatment
• Individualized communication and behavioral techniques
• Private treatment space when appropriate
• TVs above the dental chairs for distraction and comfort
• Parent involvement when helpful
• Sedation options when appropriate for your child
The visit where we don't do anything
Ask for a desensitization visit. You bring your child in, and we do nothing to them.
They can walk the hallway, sit in the chair or refuse and stay in your lap, press the button that raises it, hold the little mirror, touch the light. If they leave after ninety seconds, that is still a successful visit: next time, this building is not new.
No charge to try it. If your child has autism, sensory differences, or a history bad enough that the word "dentist" now starts a meltdown in the parking lot, start here rather than with a cleaning.
Book a desensitization visit — no treatment, no cost**
What we change about the appointment itself
Longer slots, so nobody rushes your child through a window built for a cooperative eight-year-old.
First or last appointment of the day. Ask for it — a 9 a.m. or late-afternoon slot means a near-empty waiting room.
You stay in the treatment room. For nitrous and the desensitization visit, you stand where your child can see you. For general anesthesia, you are there going under and waking up.
The same faces — same assistant, same room, wherever scheduling allows. For a lot of kids that matters more than anything clinical.
Sensory adjustments. Lights down, sunglasses, headphones, a weighted blanket, no suction sound until the last moment, your child's own show on their tablet.
Wheelchairs stay. If transferring is difficult or painful, your child does not get out of the chair for an exam or cleaning. Say so at booking.
Send this ahead, or bring it
1. Current medication list, including seizure medications and recent dose changes.
2. Diagnoses, plus any cardiac, airway, or cervical spine concerns — these drive anesthesia planning in children with Down syndrome and medically complex kids.
3. Feeding status — oral, G-tube, or both, so fasting instructions get written for your child specifically.
4. What set them off last time, and what calms them down.
5. Pediatrician contact for medical clearance, and your insurance card.
Sedation Options for Children With Special Healthcare Needs
Some children may benefit from additional support to comfortably complete necessary dental treatment. Depending on your child’s individual needs, medical history, anxiety level, and planned treatment, sedation may be considered.
Options may include nitrous oxide for children who need mild help relaxing or IV sedation/general anesthesia when a deeper level of sedation is appropriate. Our team will discuss the available options with you and determine the most appropriate approach for your child.
Medi-Cal Dental, IEHP, and What Treatment Costs
Kids Dental Castle & Orthodontics accepts Medi-Cal Dental (Denti-Cal) and PPO dental insurance. We do not accept HMO plans.
If your child's insurance card says IEHP, IEHP is the medical plan. Dental benefits are administered through Medi-Cal Dental. Bring your insurance cards to your appointment and our team can verify your child's dental coverage and benefits.
Does Medi-Cal Cover General Anesthesia for Dental Treatment?
Medi-Cal Dental may cover general anesthesia when it is medically necessary, including certain situations in which a child cannot safely or successfully complete needed dental treatment while awake.
Coverage requires authorization and documentation of medical necessity. Depending on the case, a Treatment Authorization Request may need to be submitted for review.
Our team handles the required submission and documentation. However, authorization is not guaranteed, and we won't tell a family that general anesthesia has been approved until we have confirmation.
Learn more about our IV sedation and general anesthesia options.
What If My Child Doesn't Have Dental Insurance?
For uninsured children, the dental exam and X-rays are free. Our new-patient special is $100, and consultations are free.
If your child needs sedation or general anesthesia, we'll explain the anticipated cost before treatment so you can make an informed decision.
We also offer:
- 0% in-house payment plans
- CareCredit
- 5% cash-payment discount
If you're unsure what your insurance covers or what treatment may cost, call 909-741-7052. Our team can review your options before treatment begins.
Getting here, and where our families drive from
We are at 1532 San Bernardino Ave, Suite A1, Pomona, CA 91767 — north Pomona, minutes from Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center on North Garey, just off the 10. From the Kellogg Interchange, where the 10, 57, and 71 meet at the Pomona/San Dimas line, about five minutes.
Claremont and La Verne run about ten minutes, Montclair twelve. Diamond Bar and Walnut come up the 57 in fifteen to twenty; West Covina east on the 10; Chino and Chino Hills north on the 71; Ontario, Upland, and Rancho Cucamonga fifteen to twenty-five. Families drive from Covina, Glendora, and Fontana too, almost entirely for the anesthesiologists — twenty-five minutes here beats two hours to a university clinic with a year-long wait.
Pomona Unified serves most of the city plus parts of Diamond Bar and Walnut, so if the school nurse flagged dental pain we work around school hours: weekdays until 6, Saturday 8 to 2. Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare is on East Bonita here in Pomona, which matters for medically complex kids. So does history — the Lanterman Developmental Center ran in this city from 1927 until it closed in July 2015, part of why this valley has so many adults with developmental disabilities living in the community and so few dentists equipped to treat them.
Call ahead if you need help getting in and someone meets you at the door. If your child does better not sitting in a waiting room, call from the car and we bring you back.
Get directions and clinic hours
Para las familias de Pomona
Si su hijo tiene autismo, síndrome de Down, parálisis cerebral o convulsiones, y ya le dijeron que no en otro consultorio, lea esto.
Aquí trabajan cuatro anestesiólogos dentales certificados por la junta: el Dr. Charles Lee, el Dr. Albert Kang, la Dra. Ji Yoon Choi y el Dr. Andrew Elmasri. No vienen de visita una vez al mes: trabajan en esta oficina, y la sedación intravenosa y la anestesia general se hacen dentro de este mismo edificio. Su hijo no tiene que ir a un hospital ni esperar meses en una lista.
Empezamos despacio. Pida una cita de desensibilización: su hijo entra, conoce el cuarto, y no le hacemos nada. Si quiere irse en dos minutos, se va, y no cuesta nada. Después seguimos con óxido nitroso, luego sedación intravenosa, y solo si hace falta, anestesia general.
Aceptamos Medi-Cal Dental y planes PPO. Si su tarjeta dice IEHP, ese es el plan médico; el beneficio dental se maneja por Medi-Cal Dental de todas formas, y nosotros lo facturamos. Traiga las tarjetas que tenga. Para la anestesia general, Medi-Cal exige una autorización médica: nosotros la enviamos y le decimos con honestidad si fue aprobada.
Sin seguro, el examen y las radiografías son gratis y el especial de paciente nuevo es de $100. Se habla español en todo el consultorio.
Does my child need a diagnosis to receive special needs dental care?
No. Every child is different, and accommodations can be helpful for children with a variety of developmental, behavioral, sensory, physical, or healthcare needs. Tell us about your child’s individual needs when scheduling so we can better prepare for the visit.
Can I stay with my child during the dental visit?
Parent involvement can be helpful for some children. Our team will discuss the approach that best supports your child while allowing dental care to be provided safely and comfortably.
What if my child cannot tolerate a traditional dental visit?
We can adapt the pace and approach of the appointment based on your child’s individual needs. When conventional treatment remains difficult, we can discuss whether additional behavior guidance or sedation may be appropriate.
Do you offer sedation for children with special healthcare needs?
Sedation may be appropriate for some children depending on their medical history, treatment needs, anxiety level, and ability to tolerate dental care. Options may include nitrous oxide or deeper sedation/anesthesia when appropriate.
How should I prepare my child for the first visit?
When scheduling, let us know about your child’s communication preferences, sensory sensitivities, previous dental experiences, medical conditions, medications, or anything else that may help us make the visit more comfortable. Our team can provide additional guidance based on your child’s individual needs.
Who actually administers the anesthesia — the dentist, or an anesthesiologist?
An anesthesiologist. There are four board-certified dental anesthesiologists on staff — Dr. Charles Lee, Dr. Albert Kang, Dr. Ji Yoon Choi, and Dr. Andrew Elmasri — and during IV sedation or general anesthesia, one of them is monitoring your child while a separate dentist does the treatment. Nobody is doing both jobs at once.
My daughter has never let anyone look inside her mouth. Where do we even start?
Start with a desensitization visit. She comes in, sees the room, and we do no dentistry at all — no instruments in her mouth unless she initiates it. It is free, and it usually takes two or three of these before a real appointment becomes possible.
Can my son stay in his wheelchair?
Yes. He does not have to transfer for an exam, X-rays, or a cleaning. Tell us when you book so we set up a room that accommodates the chair rather than trying to solve it when you arrive.
Do you need medical clearance from my child's doctor before anesthesia?
Often, yes — especially with seizure disorders, cardiac history, airway concerns, or G-tube feeding. Give us your pediatrician or specialist's contact information when you schedule and our anesthesiologists will request what they need directly, rather than making you be the courier.
Does Medi-Cal Dental pay for general anesthesia?
It can. Medi-Cal Dental covers general anesthesia and IV sedation when medically necessary, and inability to cooperate because of an intellectual or physical condition is one of the qualifying criteria. It requires a Treatment Authorization Request with supporting documentation, which we submit — but approval is not guaranteed, and we will tell you the status honestly.
Ready to Plan Your Child’s Visit?
We welcome families looking for individualized, compassionate dental care for children with special healthcare needs. Kids Dental Castle & Orthodontics is located in Pomona and serves families from Claremont, Chino, Upland, and surrounding communities.
Contact our team to tell us about your child’s needs and schedule a visit.
