The Jack Sansing Dental Clinic

ASA’s Jack Sansing Dental Clinic provides routine and emergency dental care for people living with HIV and AIDS. This includes oral examination, treatment planning, oral surgery, root canal treatment, periodontal therapy, restorative dentistry, removable prosthodontics, treatment of infection and preventative oral health care.

For those with suppressed immune systems due to HIV or AIDS, proper dental care is of the utmost importance.  Treating each patient with compassionate treatment options remains at the forefront of our service goals for the residents of our ten county service area.

History

ASA’s Dental Clinic began in 1991 as the HIV Dental Project, an independently funded and managed satellite project. Dr. Chris Fabre, along with other concerned area dentists and community leaders, initiated the project in response to the need for dental services first identified by the Austin/Travis County HIV Commission in 1990. In April 1992, the Clinic was named the Jack Sansing Dental Clinic in honor of Jack Sansing, a local businessman and benefactor. Mr. Sansing died of AIDS in January 1992.

Why a Dental Clinic for people living with HIV and AIDS?

Wasting syndrome can be a significant problem with people with HIV and AIDS.  Patients’ oral health must be in tact in order to facilitate proper nutrition needed maintain and even increase muscle mass, and to help fight the HIV virus.  Many of our patients come to the clinic with dietary restrictions (soft foods only) because their teeth are so unstable they cannot chew food properly.  Repair of existing teeth and/or new replacement teeth enables patients to chew efficiently and increase the amount of solid foods vital to a healthy nutrition plan. 

Patients with HIV are also more susceptible to certain kinds of oral cancers and opportunistic infections.  With regular oral exams, dentists specializing in patients with compromised immune systems are better able to provide early treatment and prevent serious illness from untreated oral complications. 

Travis County alone has over 5,000 known people living with HIV or AIDS.  With the good results of HIV medications, the need for specialized HIV oral health care has never been greater than it is today.

Contact

The Dental Clinic is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Friday from 8:00 am to noon. Please call 512-479-6633 for information and appointments.