Sacramento, Calif. (PRWEB) August 28, 2012
The California Dental Association Foundation’s free dental clinic, CDA Cares, provided more than $1.3 million in charitable dental services during the two-day event held Aug. 24-25 in Sacramento.
The California Dental Association Foundation and the California Dental Association hosted the clinic to provide oral health services and education to Californians who experience barriers to care.
As the final number of procedures provided at CDA Cares is being tallied, preliminary estimates indicate more than 2,000 tooth extractions were necessary.
“The demand for dental care was tremendous and we are thrilled that CDA Cares was able to provide essential oral health care services to 2026 people,” said CDA President Dan Davidson, DMD. “I’m saddened by the high number of extractions – many that could have been avoided with preventive care, which reinforces our belief that California needs a state dental director and an appropriate safety net of public oral health programs to improve the oral health of underserved Californians.
This is a two-day charity event and should not be mistaken for a delivery system of care – in no way can it replace the state’s responsibility for addressing the need.”
More than 1,300 volunteers donated their time and services at the event, including more than 600 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 CDA Cares, dentists and dental professionals provided cleanings, fillings, extractions, oral health education, and assistance in finding a dental home. Volunteer technicians in the clinic’s dental lab area worked to provide 201 complete and partial dentures.
“In addition to receiving dental services, patients gained a better understanding of basic preventive care and how important it is to maintain their oral health,” said Don Rollofson, DMD, chair of the CDA Foundation, adding that each patient also received an oral health kit that included a toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash and community resources. “The CDA Foundation aims to improve the oral health of Californians, and at CDA Cares Sacramento we had the privilege of giving back smiles, confidence and dignity that impacts many lives.”
The California Dental Association Foundation is planning another CDA Cares event in the Bay Area in early 2013.
Visit cdafoundation.org for information on CDA Cares.
About the California Dental Association Foundation
The CDA Foundation was formed as the philanthropic affiliate of the California Dental Association in 2001 with the mission to improve the oral health of Californians by supporting the dental health profession and its efforts to increase access to care for the state’s most vulnerable people. The CDA Foundation works with experts in the dental profession, private business, academic institutions and government to produce programs that increase access to care; promote prevention, education and intervention; advance health policy research; and build a sustainable oral health workforce.
