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.
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Hundreds of dentists, hygienists, dental team members, dental students and community volunteers recently served approximately 1,800 patients from underserved areas in the Philadelphia region at a two-day free dental clinic held at The Liacouras Center. The MOM-n-PA event, a “Mission of Mercy” free dental clinic, was held May 31 and June 1 on the arena floor of the Liacouras Center, which was transformed into a full-service dental clinic with 120 dental chairs.
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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.
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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. |
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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.
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Members of the York County Dental Society participate in a unique day of giving each February: “Doctors with a Heart Care Day.” The program, started by Dr. John J. Blevins in 1986, has continued to run successfully over the years in treating patients who are faced with the challenge of being uninsured, not qualifying for public assistance or just being unable to afford basic dental care. As of 2014, over 3,550 people have been treated through this initiative.
For working, uninsured adults who have incomes at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, dental care may become an expense they cannot afford even when necessary for their well-being. Established to alleviate this burden for individuals living in Bucks and Montgomery counties, HealthLink Medical Center in Southhampton opened its medical and dental clinics in 2001 to provide free care to patients who are working, uninsured and meet the income specific guidelines.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
PDA past 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.