Humanitarian Foundation is the

Dental care for individuals with special needs is the answer to a long-standing medical need. By virtue of their special needs, many children cannot receive traditional dental services. Dentists with specialized training are needed to care for these children.

Members of the Grottoes of North America have labored diligently to provide the necessary fund toward improvement in the oral health status of special needs children, who for some reason beyond their control are too often excluded from the mainstream of dental care.

In 1970 the Humanitarian Foundation, Grottoes of North America, started on a path to help special needs children with their dental treatment. Dental Care for Children with Special Needs Program began a unique partnership with qualified dentists throughout the United States and Canada. The program was designed to help these children with the best dental care possible. Since its inception, children have been treated at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, in Chicago, IL, Medical College of Ohio, in Toledo, OH and Children's Medical Center in Dallas, as National Treatment Centers. Through the extension program, a child can be treated in his/her community by a local dentist and/or hospital. The Parents select the dentist of their choice and our program works directly with the dental office to process the claim and issue payment.

This service is rendered FREE of charge to any child under the age of 18 regardless of race, creed or color. The only prerequisite is that the child must be sponsored by a local Grotto. We do not cover children covered by Medicaid/Medical Care nor any type of orthodontics or reconstructive jaw surgeries. All other dental needs must be preauthorized for payment to the local dentist and\or hospital.

Dental care will be provided to a child with special needs under 18 years of age afflicted with any of the following conditions: 1.Cerebral Palsy
2.Muscular Dystrophy
3.Mentally Challenged*
4.Dental Treatment of Organ Transplant Patients

Our Program is always the secondary carries, however, the program does not cover patients under Medicaid/Medical Care. According to Mediciad/Medicaid Card laws, a dentist may not submit for any reimbursement once they have submitted bills for payments by Medicaid/Medicaid Card.

All applications submitted to Dental Care for Children with Special Needs are confidential. Each child must be sponsored by a local Grotto. Most Grottoes have a representative knows as their Dr. of Smiles who will process the case locally and forward the completed forms to the Humanitarian Foundation Office in Ohio.