Dentists and teams donate $1.1 million of free dentistry abroad and in local communities
Heartland Dental Care dentists and team members helped thousands of individuals improve their dental health in 2010. Throughout the year, Heartland Dental Care dentists and their teams donated more than $1.1 million of free dentistry in third-world countries and their local communities.
"Now more than ever, there are people in other countries and in our Heartland communities who need dental services but have no means to afford them — whether they're out of a job, living in poverty, or just don't have dental insurance," said Patrick C. Bauer, president and chief operations officer of Heartland Dental Care, Inc. "I commend our dentists and teams for donating their time and free dentistry; these are great opportunities to help those less fortunate and give back to citizens abroad and in our communities."
One-third of Americans are living without dental insurance and 75% of third-world countries do not have funds essential to support dental services. These current economic conditions leave little room to afford much needed dental procedures. Without kind-hearted donations from dentists and their teams, dental care simply isn't an option for many people in the world.
Across the world, patients lined up at the free dentistry events in the early morning hours to guarantee receipt of a free exam, cleaning, X-ray, filling, or extraction. At many of the locations, patients were also offered free snacks, drinks, meals, and transportation to and from the event.
"Heartland Dental is committed to lifetime dental care because good oral health is integral to overall health," said Bauer. "I'm honored to say that our dentists and teams selflessly gave their time and resources to donate free dentistry. It warms my heart to know we are engaging patients and educating them to adopt an ongoing oral care program and a lifelong regimen of preventative care."
Heartland Dental Care, Inc., is one of the leading dental practice-management groups in the United States with more than 280 dental practices located within 17 states. Based in Effingham, Ill., Heartland provides its dentists and team members with continuing professional education and leadership training along with a variety of management services which include staffing, human relations, purchasing, administration, financial, marketing, and information technology support. For more information, visit www.HeartlandDentalCare.com.
