We are proud to recognize several nonprofit organizations within
the pages of our annual Do Good issue. These charities cover
various demographics - from children, elderly, impoverished,
disabled and more, and not only seek financial support, but time
and enthusiasm are equally appreciated. Here are a few to whet
your appetite for getting involved, many of which are featured
at length on other pages in this issue.
Donated Dental Services
Donated Dental Services (DDS) is a program
for dental professionals to help disabled,
elderly or medically compromised
individuals who cannot afford care and
receive no public aid. Visit NFDH.org to find your state's DDS program(s) and
for a great example, check out the article
on page 88 about Eastern Oklahoma's
Donated Dental Services program.
Smile Power
International Smile Power, founded by
Dr. Sherwin Shinn, delivers dental health
care, supplies, education and training to
underserved people on both a large and
small scale. Smile Power seeks to empower
children, particularly, to work together
to create cross-cultural friendships. Visit
www.smilepower.org.
Oral Health America
Oral Health America is a national organization
started in 1955, headquartered in
Chicago. The organization changes lives
by connecting communities with resources
access to care, education and advocacy.
President and CEO of OHA, Beth Truett,
writes about what it's all about on page
92. Or visit www.oralhealthamerica.org.
Climb for a Cause
Climb for a Cause combines the beauty of
the mountains with the desire to make a
positive difference in people's lives. It offers
individuals and organizations a chance to
demonstrate commitment to giving back,
whether a novice or advanced hiker. On
page 93, Danny Babrow talks about how to
go on one of these trips. You can also visit www.climbforacause.org.
The Children's Dental Center of Greater Los Angeles
Since 1995 TCDC, a nonprofit organization, has been offering access
to high quality oral health prevention, education and treatment services
to dentally underserved children and their caregivers throughout
the Greater Los Angeles Area. By the end of this fiscal year, TCDC will
have reached one million encounters by providing more than 122,000
treatment visits at The Smile Store, educating more than 598,000 children
and their caregivers and screening in excess of 195,000 children (both on-site at The Shannon
Kelly Toothfairy Cottage and off-site at the local schools, health fairs, community-based organizations,
etc.). TCDC has partnerships with many dental schools and is supported by various dental
companies' donations.
For World Wide Smiles
For World Wide Smiles, the nonprofit organization
founded and headed by Dr. Sherwin
Shinn, provides dental health care, ongoing
disease prevention, education and supplies to
underserved populations. It trains local people
to take responsibility and helps communities
become self-sustaining. It seeks to share
values and virtues between cultures and
develop bridges of understanding. Read more
about this charity and the amazing man who
started it on page 76 and online at www.forworldwidesmiles.org.
National Children's
Oral Health Foundation
NCOHF, and its America's ToothFairy program,
is dedicated to eliminating children's preventable
suffering from pediatric dental
disease. The charity provides programs and
resources for community-based prevention,
education and treatment. Read about how to
become a Dentist of Distinction on page 83 and visit www.NCOHF.org.
Healthy Children Healthy Smiles
Healthy Children Healthy Smiles is the foundation of the American
Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). It supports communitybased
initiatives to access care and seeks to find dental homes for
children nationwide.
Give Kids a Smile
The ADA's national Give Kids A Smile program
provides oral health services to children
in need and emphasizes the need for government
agencies to allocate adequate funding for
those services. Give Kids A Smile is a signature
program of the ADA in which approximately
10,000 dentists and their teams volunteer to
provide free oral health services to more than
400,000 underserved children across the
nation all year long. For more information,
visit www.ada.org/givekidsasmile.
Global Dental Relief
Global Dental Relief brings free dental care to
impoverished children in Nepal, India, Vietnam,
Guatemala and Kenya via treatment clinics and
preventive care in schools, orphanages and
remote villages. Read about a trip and how to get
involved on page 84 and at www.globaldentalrelief.org.
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