CDA Cares

SACRAMENTO, California—The California Dental Association Foundation’s free dental clinic, CDA Cares, provided an estimated $1.2 million in charitable dental services during the two-day event held May 18-19, 2012, in Modesto, Calif.

The California Dental Association, the CDA Foundation, and national partner America's Dentists Care Foundation, served as hosts for the clinic aimed at providing oral health services and education to Californians who experience barriers to care.

Related information, click here.

“In addition to providing free dental services to people in need, it is our goal with CDA Cares to raise awareness with the public and policymakers about the need for a state oral health infrastructure to improve the oral health of Californians,” said CDA President Dan Davidson, DMD.

“Volunteerism and charity events such as CDA Cares deliver tremendous amounts of dental services, but they are not a sustainable system of care.”

More than 1,000 volunteers donated their time and services at the event, including 300 health professionals-–dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, nurses and lab technicians–-as well as hundreds of community volunteers who assisted with registration, translation, data entry, and escorting patients.

During the event, dentists and dental professionals provided 7,200 procedures, including cleanings, fillings, and extractions to 1,650 people, about 10% of which were children. In addition, the clinic provided more than 80 complete or partial dentures to patients in need.

In addition to dental services, patients received oral health education materials, assistance in finding a dental home for future care, and an oral health kit with essentials such as a toothbrush and toothpaste.

“The CDA Foundation works to make a lasting and positive impact on the lives of underserved Californians and CDA Cares allows us that opportunity in communities like Modesto,” said Don Rollofson, DMD, CDA Foundation chair.

“The people we served left with a better understanding of the importance of maintaining their oral health, which is essential to overall health.”

CDA Cares was also attended by a number of state and local elected officials, as well as U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Region IX Director Herb Schultz.

The California Dental Association Foundation will sponsor another CDA Cares event Aug. 24-25, 2012, at Sacramento at Cal Expo.

Visit cdafoundation.org for information.

To comment on this topic, go to community.pennwelldentalgroup.com/.