Dr. Schaffer is a faculty member at the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, where she provides care and teaches dentistry to residents and dental students in the university’s Advanced Care Clinic, which provides care for people with disabilities, limited access to care, and special needs. Her area of expertise includes patients with bleeding and connective tissue disorders, chronic pain and complex medical histories. She also owns a private practice in Phoenix. She is a board-certified specialist in orofacial pain, and a Diplomate, American Board of Orofacial Pain.  She received her BS in biology from SUNY Binghamton and her DDS from Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine.  After completing her residency at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, Dr. Schaffer maintained a mobile practice, caring for people who were homebound, hospitalized, residing in nursing homes, or otherwise unable to seek traditional dental care.  She returned to academia after ten years in practice, earning a post-doctoral fellowship in treating people with complex medical problems, orofacial pain and infectious disease (HIV/AIDS).

After obtaining her fellowship, she continued to work with disabled populations, working in community health centers and directing the mobile dentistry unit for Columbia University, where she served as faculty.

After moving to Arizona, Dr. Schaffer served as Dental Director for one of the state’s largest community health centers before opening her practice and assuming her current faculty position in the Advanced Care Clinic.

She has spoken internationally on a variety of topics, including the treatment of people with HSD/EDS, bleeding disorders, autism, and chronic pain. She volunteered with the Spear Open Wide Foundation in Guatemala, where she established the first clinic for people with special needs and Special Olympic athletes.  She serves as the North American Delegate to the Dental Committee, World Federation of Hemophilia.  She is a member of the American Dental Association, American Academy of Orofacial Pain, American Association of Dental Research and the American Dental Education Association.

Disclosure: Dr. Schaffer has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.