For the past 25 years, the primary purpose of Pacific Dental Services® has been to provide support so that clinicians can focus on providing oral health care to their patients to keep them healthier and happier.This includes educating patients about the link between oral health and whole-body health – what PDS and its supported dental practices call the Mouth-Body Connection®. The research is clear that harmfulbacteria and inflammation in the mouth can indicate and even cause systemic conditions throughout the body. Maladies of the mouth, including periodontal disease, may be linked with other medical conditions including oral cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and more. Unfortunately, according to the National Association of Dental Plans, more than 70 million Americans are without access to dentistry. This underserved patient population includes persons with physical or mental disabilities; persons residing in geographically isolated areas or confined to their homes; and persons who are low-income or without dental insurance.
Smile Generation Serve Day: Increasing Access to Care for Patients in Need
Pacific Dental Services understands this need to increase access to dentistry for the underserved population. As part of their culture of service, PDS will once again join forces with The Smile Generation to launch the ninth annual Smile Generation Serve Day, a nationwide campaign of giving that focuses on providing donated dentistry for patients in need. On Saturday, August 17th, more than 700 PDS-supported dental practices and volunteers throughout the United States will provide thousands of patients with comprehensive oral health care, including cleanings, x-rays, scaling and root planing, restorations and extractions, if needed. Since its inception in 2011, more than 15,000 patients have received donated dentistry during Smile Generation Serve Day, totaling $25 million in oral health care.“Service is at the core of who we are as an organization,”said Kyle Guerin, Director, PDS Foundation and Corporate Social Responsibility.“Participating in the act of service helps us focus on what matters most in life.”
2019’s Smile Generation Serve Day takes place on Saturday, August 17th
Many of the patients who will be treated this year are affiliated with After Innocence, Special Olympics International, or Dental Lifeline Network. “Smile Generation Serve Day is a great event that allows our volunteers to serve more patients with special needs,” said Fred Leviton, CEO of Dental Lifeline Network, which provides dental care for people with disabilities, people who are elderly and medically fragile, and veterans. “Many of these people will receive life changing services they never would have gotten otherwise. We are so appreciative of all the volunteers who opened up their offices and changed lives in their local communities.”
After Innocence is a non-profit organization that serves prison exonerees nationwide – many of whom falsely imprisoned for decades. "After Innocence provides free post-release support to more than 500 exonerees across the country, many of whom who have serious dental problems arising from years of inadequate care while in prison, and a general lack of good, affordable care since being released,” said Jon Eldan, Executive Director of After Innocence. “Smile Generation Serve Day is a game-changer for dozens of our exoneree-clients. Pacific Dental Services -supported dentists across 13 states are welcoming After Innocence exonerees into their offices, providing extensive pro bono services, and helping these deserving individuals take an important step in rebuilding their lives after wrongful convictions."
Smile Generation Serve Day also helped Pamela. She was a homeless veteran in need of dental care. After serving her country and being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, she found it difficult to receive dental insurance and she couldn’t afford to cover the cost on her own. That changed during a previous Smile Generation Serve Daywhen she met Janki Patel, D.M.D., a PDS-supported dentist. Dr. Patel gave Pamela life changing dental treatments that transformed her smile. “I thank God for Dr. Patel,” said Pamela. “She said, ‘we’re going to bring your smile back, and it’s not going to cost you a cent.’”
Patient stories like Pamela’s are at the heart of Smile Generation Serve Day, which has impacted countless patients. However, it’s not just the patients’ lives that are changed during this day of service. At the end of the day, volunteers are transformed knowing they helped underserved patients achieve not just healthier and happier smiles, but also a new sense of wellbeing.
For more information on Smile Generation Serve Day, click here.
For more information on Pacific Dental Services, click here.
