Since the coronavirus pandemic, according to James Mah, the dean of UNLV’s School of Dental Medicine, it’s been difficult for families with children born with cleft palates and other craniofacial abnormalities to find care in Southern Nevada.

That is, until this month when the school opened its new Advanced Needs Dental Clinic, which was renovated onto an existing dental school building at UNLV.

The new space, at 1700 West Charleston Boulevard, replaced a previous clinic that was shuttered during the pandemic because of lack of state funding.

Because of federal grant money and a bill — Senate Bill 280 — passed in the Nevada Legislature this year that earmarked $1.3 million for the project, resources were put in place to fund the revamped clinic and staff.

This month, the first patients

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