Dr. Shannon Skiba cares for children and adults with autism, developmental and intellectual disabilities, dementia, and severe dental anxiety — with longer appointments, no rushing, and visits where nothing has to be accomplished at all.
The most common thing we hear from a new family is some version of: nobody would see us. Or they were seen once, it went badly, and nobody suggested trying differently. Dental care for a person with significant special needs takes more time than a standard appointment allows, and a lot of practices are not built to give it.
Dr. Skiba is a special-needs advocate as well as a dentist, and this is a deliberate focus of the practice rather than something we occasionally accommodate. We are small and independent, which here is a clinical advantage: we control our own schedule, so we can give an appointment forty-five minutes when it needs forty-five minutes, and we can decide to stop and try again another day without it being a problem.
We cannot promise every visit will go well — anyone who promises that is not being straight with you. What we can promise is that we will not rush, we will listen to the person who knows the patient best, and we will tell you honestly if we think a different setting would serve them better than we can.
This list is not exhaustive. If you are not sure whether we can help with a particular situation, call and ask — a five-minute phone conversation usually answers it.
The single most useful thing we do is book more time than the procedure needs. Almost everything that goes wrong in a dental appointment for a patient with special needs comes down to being rushed. If we need to stop, pause, and start again, there is room in the schedule for that.
We will happily schedule a visit where no treatment takes place at all — no instruments, no exam if that is too much. Just coming in, seeing the room, sitting in the chair, meeting Dr. Skiba, and leaving. For a lot of patients that first uneventful visit is exactly what makes every appointment afterward possible.
You know things about this person that no chart contains — what the warning signs are, what helps, what absolutely does not, which words to avoid. We want that information before the appointment, not during it. Call ahead and tell us.
We are a small independent practice, not a high-volume clinic with a dozen operatories running at once. That is a genuine clinical advantage here: less noise, fewer people, less waiting-room chaos. Where we can, we will schedule at a quieter time of day.
Nitrous oxide — laughing gas — helps many anxious and sensory-sensitive patients tolerate treatment comfortably, and it wears off quickly. Dr. Skiba will discuss whether it is suitable. We do not offer general anesthesia in this office; if a patient genuinely needs treatment under general anesthesia, we will tell you that honestly and help you find the right setting.
Our office is at street level with a small lot directly outside — no parking deck, no long walk, no stairs from the car. For some patients we can perform parts of an exam with the patient remaining in their own wheelchair.
Some treatment plans that look right on paper are not achievable for a particular person, and pretending otherwise wastes everyone's time and trust. We will tell you what we think is realistic, what we would prioritise, and what we would leave alone.
For a patient where treatment is difficult, preventing the problem is worth far more than it is for anyone else. We put real effort into home-care strategies that actually fit this person's abilities and routine, rather than generic advice.
This is the single most useful thing you can do, and it costs nothing. Tell us what has gone wrong at dental visits before, what the sensory triggers are, how the person communicates, what time of day they are at their best, and what reliably helps. If there is an object, headphones, sunglasses, a particular word to use or avoid — tell us, and bring it.
We would far rather spend ten minutes on the phone in advance than discover all of it the hard way with the patient in the chair.
Call (770) 478-1001Yes. Dr. Shannon Skiba treats patients with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, dementia, Parkinson's disease, sensory processing differences, and severe dental anxiety. Special needs care is a genuine focus of the practice, not an exception we occasionally make.
Mainly time and preparation. We book longer appointments so nothing is rushed, we talk to the caregiver beforehand about what helps and what does not, we can schedule at quieter times of day, and we are willing to stop and reschedule rather than push through. We also offer desensitization visits where no treatment happens at all.
It is an appointment with no treatment. The patient comes in, sees the room, sits in the chair if they are willing, meets Dr. Skiba and the team, and goes home. Nothing else. It sounds like a wasted visit and it is the opposite — for many patients it is the step that makes every future appointment possible. There is no expectation that anything gets accomplished.
Possibly, and we would like to try. We would start with a phone conversation about what has gone wrong before, then likely a desensitization visit with no pressure to achieve anything. We cannot promise a particular outcome — every child is different — but we will not rush the process, and we will be honest with you if we think a different setting would serve your child better.
We offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas), which helps many anxious and sensory-sensitive patients tolerate treatment comfortably and wears off quickly. Dr. Skiba will discuss whether it is appropriate. We do not provide general anesthesia in this office — if a patient truly requires treatment under general anesthesia, we will say so and help you find an appropriate setting rather than attempt something unsuitable.
Yes. We are at street level at 173 North Main Street in Jonesboro with a small lot directly outside — no parking deck and no stairs from the car. For some patients we can carry out parts of an exam with the patient remaining in their own wheelchair.
Yes. Oral health often deteriorates quickly with dementia and Parkinson's, and it is frequently overlooked. We work closely with family members and caregivers, keep appointments short and predictable, and focus heavily on prevention and comfort — weighing what treatment is genuinely worth doing against what it would ask of the patient.
Yes, and we are glad to work with them. Call (770) 478-1001 and talk to us about the individual before booking — the more we know in advance about the person's needs, triggers, and communication style, the better the first visit tends to go.
Call us beforehand and tell us about the person: what has worked and failed at previous dental visits, sensory triggers, how they communicate, time of day when they are at their best, and any medical conditions or medications. If there are things that reliably help — a particular object, headphones, sunglasses, a specific word to use or avoid — bring them and tell us.
Call us and we will talk through the specifics of the care needed and how your coverage applies. We file claims with most major insurers as a courtesy so your benefits are applied. We are not in HMO or managed-care networks.
Families travel to us from across Clayton and Henry County — and often from a good deal further — because dentists willing to take this on are not easy to find.
Read more from Dr. Skiba on special needs dentistry and sedation for nervous patients.
No pressure, no commitment — just tell us about the person and we will tell you honestly what we can do.
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