Believe Dental

What Believe Dental does

Believe Dental is a privately-held Texas dental practice that provides comprehensive oral health care with an exclusive focus on patients with special needs, including individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, dementia and Alzheimer's, ADHD, cardiovascular conditions, and diabetes. Founded in 1988 as Melvin L. Shanley, DDS PC by Dr. Melvin Shanley and rebranded to Believe Dental in 2023 following Dr. Shanley's retirement, the practice is now co-owned by Dr. Karan Shah and Dr. David Ferguson. The clinical model is built around a Dental Home concept that integrates sedation dentistry (nitrous oxide, moderate sedation, and gas-based general anesthesia administered by board-certified anesthesiologists), restorative dentistry, orthodontics, behavior management therapy (including tell-show-do, positive reinforcement, and desensitization techniques), and accessibility equipment such as the Versatilt wheelchair lift that allows treatment in a patient's own wheelchair.

The practice operates four physical locations across three Texas metros: San Antonio Huebner (headquarters at 14620 Huebner Road), San Antonio Moonlight Way, South Austin (co-located at Celebrate Dental & Braces), North Houston, and Houston Center for Pursuit (embedded at The Center for Pursuit). Patient acquisition is sales-led and built on three primary channels: a structured provider referral program, partnerships with more than 18 disability and healthcare organizations including AADMD, Special Olympics Texas, The Arc of Texas, Down Syndrome Association South Texas, UTHSCSA, and Texas Health Institute, and an extensive bilingual (English/Spanish) content marketing and SEO presence.

Revenue is generated through fee-for-service dental care billed to dental insurance, with the practice filing claims on behalf of patients and accepting Medicaid and Texas waiver programs (CLASS, HCS). CareCredit third-party financing is offered for higher-cost procedures, and same-day emergency availability is provided. The practice does not operate as a digital health platform, does not have a mobile application, and reports no disclosed AI/ML capabilities; its differentiation is clinical and operational, anchored by anesthesiologist-led sedation, specialized accessibility equipment, and a deeply established special needs referral network in Texas.

Name

Believe Dental

Legal name

Believe Dental

Website

https://believedental.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Believe Dental is a Texas-based private dental practice specializing in comprehensive oral health care for patients with special needs, including I/DD, autism, Down syndrome, and dementia. Operating four locations across San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, it delivers sedation dentistry, general anesthesia, restorative care, and behavior management therapy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Needs Dentistry

NAICS

Offices of Dentists (621210)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Dental Anesthesiology & Sedation Group Practices (HLABAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Geriatric & Special Needs General Dentistry (HLABAAAH), General Dentistry Group Practices (HLABAKAB)

Keywords

• Special needs dentistry
• Sedation dental services
• General anesthesia dentistry
• Developmental disability dental care
• Wheelchair accessible dentistry

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dental Services Revenue: Fee-for-service dental care including cleanings, exams, restorative procedures, sedation, and specialty services. The practice accepts dental insurance and files claims on behalf of patients as a courtesy. Payment is required at time of service for co-payments and sedation services.
2. CareCredit Financing: Third-party financing through CareCredit provides flexible monthly payment plans for patients, enabling them to afford comprehensive dental care through installment payments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Believe Dental operates a specialized multi-location dental practice providing comprehensive oral health care to patients with special needs. Core services include sedation dentistry (nitrous oxide and general anesthesia delivered by board-certified anesthesiologists), restorative dentistry, orthodontics (braces), preventive hygiene, behavior management therapy, and a Dental Home care model. Services are delivered across offices in San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, Texas, with wheelchair-accessible treatment infrastructure and on-site anesthesiologist support.

Product overview

Believe Dental operates as a specialized dental practice providing comprehensive oral health care primarily for patients with special needs. The company offers a unified platform of dental services including Sedation Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry, Braces, and Hygiene Services, all delivered within a Dental Home model. Key supporting services include Behavior Management Therapy, General Anesthesia, and Nitrous Oxide Sedation. Founded in 1988 as Melvin L. Shanley, DDS PC and renamed Believe Dental in 2023, the practice operates multiple locations in San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, Texas, with a focus on treating patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), autism, Down syndrome, dementia, and dental anxiety.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sedation Dentistry

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 million Americans have disabilities, with dental care being the most frequent healthcare challenge for I/DD patients

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry (AADMD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization focused on healthcare for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Believe Dental displays partnership with AADMD on their testimonials page as a key community partner.
• Texas Health InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas-based health organization working to improve health equity. Listed as a partner organization on Believe Dental's testimonials page.
• University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic medical center partnership for healthcare coordination.
• Special OlympicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Believe Dental partners with Special Olympics Texas.
• The Arc of TexascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Partnership listed on Believe Dental's community partners page.
• Down Syndrome Association South TexascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organization supporting individuals with Down syndrome and their families in South Texas region.
• Henry Schein Cares FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDental supply company foundation supporting access to care for underserved populations.
• CareCreditminorOthersThird-party healthcare financing company providing flexible payment plans for patients. Believe Dental offers CareCredit as a payment option.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aspen Dental: National DSO with hundreds of offices offering general dentistry, sedation, and specialty services. Comparable in offering multi-location, multi-specialty dental care including sedation; broader patient base than Believe Dental's special-needs focus.
• PDS Health: Large dental and medical support organization supporting hundreds of practices across multiple specialties. Relevant as a scaled DSO comparable; however, PDS Health's portfolio is broader and not specialized in special-needs dentistry.
• Sonrava Health: Multi-brand dental group (including Western Dental, Brident) operating hundreds of offices, many in Texas, with strong Medicaid acceptance. Comparable as a Texas-relevant, Medicaid-accepting DSO peer, though without special-needs specialization.
• Heartland Dental: Largest US dental support organization, supporting thousands of dentists across general and specialty practices. Comparable as a multi-location DSO model but lacks the special-needs/sedation specialization that defines Believe Dental.
• Kool Smiles (now Benevis): Multi-location dental practice organization historically focused on underserved pediatric populations and Medicaid patients. Comparable payer mix and underserved-patient mission to Believe Dental, though broader patient base.

Emerging players

• Smile America Partners: Mobile and on-site dental services provider focused on schools and underserved communities, including children with special needs. Comparable mission and patient demographic to Believe Dental, with an alternative mobile delivery model.

Regional players

• Jefferson Dental & Orthodontics: Texas-headquartered DSO with extensive locations across the state offering general dentistry, orthodontics, and Medicaid acceptance. Directly overlaps with Believe Dental's Texas footprint and multi-service offering, though without a special-needs specialization.

Direct peers

• Blue Cloud Pediatric Surgery Centers: Ambulatory surgery centers dedicated to pediatric dental surgery under general anesthesia, serving Medicaid and special-needs populations. Directly comparable to Believe Dental's anesthesia-enabled, special-needs-focused care model, but delivered in surgery-center rather than dental-office settings.
• Hero Practice Services: Multi-specialty DSO focused on underserved and special-needs pediatric populations, including those with I/DD, primarily on Medicaid. Comparable patient demographic, payer mix, and clinical complexity to Believe Dental's core I/DD segment.
• Children's Dental Health: Pediatric dental group practice serving children including those with special needs, with multiple locations across the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic. Comparable patient demographic (special-needs children) and multi-location DSO structure to Believe Dental.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BelieveDental
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/believe-dental

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Believe Dental