PANEL – “Caring for Kids with Autism: Practical Approaches for the Dental Team”

1485 Park Ave., San Jose, CA 95126

HELEN MO, DDS, MS
Dr. Helen Mo earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She obtained her Certificate of Pediatric Dentistry and Master of Science at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In residency, she focused her interests on treating children with autism and founded a dental desensitization program for these children. She spent a few years working as a faculty member at UCSF, where she oversaw this clinic. Her research with the clinic has been published in multiple dental journals.
A leader and active in the pediatric dental community. Dr. Helen volunteers as Director for the California Society of Pediatric Dentistry (CSPD), which is an organization devoted to advancing the oral health of the children of California. She was invited by the White House Office of Public Engagement to work as an oral health consultant as part of a larger public health initiative. Over the years, she has devoted her time to serving children in undeserved populations, including refugee groups in Philadelphia, the special needs community, and mission trips abroad.
Dr. Helen is also a creator in the field of dentistry. She has been featured for her oral health education on social media (@the.dentistmom with over a quarter million followers) in Good Morning America, the Daily Mail, the Washington Post, and across multiple news outlets. Professionally, she was highlighted for her achievements by multiple organizations including the American Dental Association. She has also published two books with Lovevery, an award-winning children’s toy company, titled “Olivia Goes to the Dentist” and “Brush Your Teeth with Cameron” to help prepare children for their dental visits.
Outside of dentistry, Dr. Helen enjoys spending time with her husband Allan, her two children Olivia and Cameron, and their golden doodle, Kingston.

JEAN STAR, DDS, MPH
Dr. Jean Marie Star provides dental care to children and adolescents, with the goals of improving their oral health and making dental visits fun. She is devoted to increasing access to dental care for all children and is particularly passionate about providing care to underserved children, such as those with complex medical conditions or other special health care needs. This is also a subject of her research.
Star earned her doctor of dental surgery degree at the UCSF School of Dentistry, where she also completed her specialty training in pediatric dentistry. She has a master of public health degree, with a focus on social determinants of health, from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
In addition to caring for patients, Star dedicates time to several endeavors at UCSF. She is helping to expand the pediatric dental residency program by increasing residents’ training in public health, collaborating with behavioral health colleagues to improve dental visits for children with autism spectrum disorder, and mentoring students and residents in the field of pediatric dental research focused on public health.

TARA GLAVIN, MA, BCBA
Tara is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) working in private practice and is a contractor at the UCSF Autism Dental Clinic. She has been committed to ensuring individuals with autism have access to services and support for the past 23 years as an advocate and educator. She works with autistic individuals, their families and also trains professionals at schools and in the community. She obtained her Master of the Arts degree in Teaching and Special Education from Roosevelt University in Chicago and became certified as a BCBA at Stony Brook University in New York.