Finding a special needs dentist in El Paso is hard, especially for adults with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, dementia or Alzheimer’s, and other disabilities. Our sister Karen, who uses a wheelchair, went more than 10 years without dental care, until our mom started driving her all the way to San Antonio. Most families can’t do that.

So we gave $250,000 to create the Burgess Family Special Needs Dentistry Fellowship at Texas Tech Health El Paso’s Hunt School of Dental Medicine, in memory of our mother, Jan Burgess. Starting in fall 2027, it makes Hunt the 10th dental school in the country with a fellowship dedicated to special needs dentistry.

Why it matters: We grew up in El Paso, and we know it can be tough to compete with bigger cities for specialists. Before Texas Tech’s dental school opened, the closest dental school was more than 500 miles away, and El Paso has long had fewer dentists per person than the rest of Texas. The average new dentist graduates with nearly $300,000 in student loans, which often pushes them toward higher-paying practices in bigger cities.

Here’s what your gift does: helps pay down student loans for dental fellows and practitioners working for public institutions in the greater El Paso region - giving special needs dentists one more reason to choose El Paso, and to stay. More dentists means more patients get seen.

Looking for a special needs dentist in El Paso, or a dentist for disabled adults? Texas Tech’s special needs dental clinic welcomes adults with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, dementia, and other special needs and disabilities. Call 915-215-6700 or schedule a screening.

¿Busca un dentista para personas con necesidades especiales en El Paso? Llame al 915-215-6700.

Every gift helps grow special needs dentistry in El Paso. Thank you so much!

Dave and Steve

Want to learn more about our family’s work? Visit the Burgess Family Special Needs Fund at the Paso del Norte Community Foundation.