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Many PDA members selflessly volunteer their time and talents to promote good oral health to the public. The following are some of their outreach efforts.

Christianville Dental Clinic - Haiti  

Dr. Steven Moriconi volunteers at the Christianville Dental Clinic in Gressier, Haiti and is sponsoring Joel Vixama, a Haitian medical student whom he met during his first trip to Haiti. He met other Haitian medical and dental students whose education was interrupted due to the 2010 earthquake destroying their schools. This experience inspired him to establish a non-profit foundation to provide funding for Haitian students to attend advanced professional schools both within and outside Haiti.

More Than Smiles - Schnecksville

Launched by Dr. Gregg Frey and his son Scott, the More Than Smiles program offers orthodontic care to children and teenagers who would otherwise be unable to afford it. Dr. Frey seeks out youth who are active in their schools and communities and in obvious need of orthodontics.

Rotaplast International

For the past three years, Dr. Stone has been volunteering his time with Rotaplast International, a Rotary affiliated organization that sends plastic surgeons and health care professionals to repair cleft lip and palate deformities in children around the world. Having already travelled to Venezuela and Guatemala on Rotaplast mission trips, he is set to return to Venezuela in 2012.

Chester is Blessed With A New Dental Clinic

Dr. Kenneth Fetter and Foster Friess, a former resident of Chadds Ford, opened the Chester Grace Dental Clinic in early May. The state-of the art, two-operatory facility is located on the first floor of the Frederick Douglass Christian School. Learn more.

Annual Free Dental Day - Harrisburg

Drs. Peter Friedman, Steven Grater and Zachary Sisler hold an Annual Free Dental Day where they generously provide free oral health services to the underserved of Harrisburg and its surrounding areas. Learn more.

Mission of Mercy - Harrisburg

Several Harrisburg area dentists volunteer with Mission of Mercy, a two-operatory clinic located within Christ Lutheran Church in Harrisburg. All services are free, with most of the cost for providing services borne by the church. Typically anywhere from 25-40 patients are seen each month. Learn more.

Smiles for Life - Elizabethtown

Elizabethtown Dental Associates recently donated $30,000 to the Elizabethtown Area School District to support students and faculty. Raised through the Elizabethtown Dental’s Smiles for Life program, the money is used to fund classroom programs and go toward a capital campaign fund. Learn more.

Candy Buyback Program & Operation Gratitude - Erie & State College

Drs. Gregg Garcia and Drew Carlin of Beautiful Smiles and Dr. John Kelly of Pediatric Dental Care & Orthodontics participate in the Halloween Candy Buyback Program. They “buy” unopened Halloween candy from neighborhood kids at a scheduled event. The children receive $1 per pound of candy and a goody bag. The candy is shipped to a non-profit organization called Operation Gratitude where it's packaged and sent to our troops overseas. Learn more.

Zoo Boo - Erie

Dr. William D. Hammerlee and his staff from Hammerlee Dental Care have a trick-or-treat booth at the Erie Zoo’s annual Zoo Boo event. They hand out sugarless gum and toothbrushes to children 12 and under. In 2011, they also gave away a certificate for a free exam and cavity detecting X-rays in every treat bag. Learn more.

Trick or Treat for Troops - Glen Mills

Each year during the week following Halloween, Drs. Stephanie McGann and Marie Scott from Brandywine Smile Center collect donations of unwanted or leftover Halloween candy. The candy is given to a non-profit organization called Keystone Soldiers where it's packaged and sent to soldiers from Pennsylvania serving around the world. Learn more.

Christmas Toy Drive - Sandy Lake

PDA president Dr. Dennis Charlton hosts a Christmas Toy Drive every year as a way to help his patients who don’t have insurance. Patients who donate a new unwrapped toy, valued at $20, receive a periodic exam and prophylaxis at no charge. Between 100 and 175 toys are donated each year, which amounts to about $12,000 of free service. All of the toys are given to the Helping Hands Organization. Learn more. 

If you or a dentist you know donates his or her time or resources giving back to the public, please take a moment to submit information to PDA for inclusion on our website or other PDA publications. Photos of your event can be emailed to our communications department.