Nisonger Center welcomes Dr. Stephen Beetstra
The Ohio State University Nisonger Center UCEDD/LEND welcomes Stephen Beetstra, DDS, MHSA, as Program Director of Nisonger Center Dental Services. Dr. Beetstra will be an Assistant Professor of Clinical Dentistry in the Division of Restorative and Prosthetic Dentistry, College of Dentistry.
Dr. Beetstra received his DDS from Baylor College of Dentistry (now Texas A&M College of Dentistry) before earning a Master of Health Services Administration degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Dr. Beetstra began his career in Oregon as a Chief Dental Officer for the Indian Health Service. He went on to serve in Florida and North Carolina as a Chief Dental Officer and Director for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). From 1999 to 2005, Dr. Beetstra served as Assistant Professor and Chief of the Division of Dental Services at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. In 2006, he joined the faculty at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He served in several teaching positions, and as Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatric and Special Needs Dentistry. Dr. Beetstra has served as the Chief of Dental Services at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Department of Dentistry since 2014. Dr. Beetstra is also a member of the American Dental Association, Special Care Dentistry Association, Academy of Dentistry for Persons with Disabilities, American Association of Hospital Dentists, Central District Dental Society, National Academies of Practice, American College of Dentists, and Arkansas Dental Association.
Dr. Beetstra’s vision for the Nisonger Dental Center Program is to ensure individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities in Ohio have access to quality patient centered state of the art dental care that will allow them to live and function in society at their highest level. To accomplish this, our goal is to create an oral health center of excellence that will: train the next generation of multidisciplinary providers, develop research and educational initiatives, and deliver quality oral health services in community, clinical, and hospital settings.
Dr. Beetstra has three main areas of expertise; dental care for individuals with complex medical issues and/or developmental disabilities, development of dental education and clinical programs using financial and needs based modeling and development of public policy initiatives based upon population based metrics. We look forward to Dr. Beetstra bringing his knowledge, experience and expertise to our dental clinic and helping to improve the mission and values of Nisonger. He will be joining the Nisonger Center faculty and Dental Clinic team on Monday, August 17th. . For more information, please click here.
“We are most impressed by Dr. Beetstra’s 20+ years of knowledge and clinical experience in providing dental care and oral surgery to children and adults with intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders” – Dr. Marc J. Tassé, Director, Nisonger Center- UCEDD
“Dr. Beetstra’s professional and personal commitment to the care of special needs patients will benefit everyone associated with the Nisonger Dental Clinic – patients, students, and staff. In addition, his involvement with our College of Dentistry will substantially enhance the educational experiences of our General Practice Residents. We are all so pleased and excited to have him as a member of our college community.” – Dr. Patrick Lloyd, Dean of College of Dentistry.