The California Dental Association Foundation’s volunteer dental event, CDA Cares, provided nearly $1.8 million in charitable dental services to 2,066 people Oct. 15-16 in Stockton.
In addition to providing dental services at no charge to Californians who experience barriers to care, CDA Cares educates the public and policymakers about the importance of good oral health and the need for an adequately funded dental safety net, which includes a well-functioning Denti-Cal program.
“Our CDA Cares program provides a significant impact throughout the state. At this clinic alone we were able to provide care and relieve pain and infection for more than 2,060 people,” said CDA President Ken Wallis, DDS. “Despite recent efforts to improve the Denti-Cal program, it remains chronically underfunded and people have trouble accessing care. The number of people we see at these events speaks to that need.”
While final numbers are still being tallied, preliminary estimates indicate that 2,365 tooth extractions were necessary at CDA Cares in Stockton – a sad statistic, since dental disease is preventable.
During the two-day event, dentists and dental professionals provided 14,178 dental procedures, including fillings, extractions, cleanings and oral health education. Volunteer technicians in the clinic’s dental lab area worked to provide 250 complete and partial dentures and repairs.
“Seeing someone come to CDA Cares with pain or infection and leave smiling and in better health is heart-warming,” said Jean Creasey, DDS, chair of the CDA Foundation. “And to work with so many volunteers with the same goal of getting patients out of pain and in better health is incredibly rewarding.”
More than 2,500 volunteers donated their time and services at the event, including 850 health professionals – dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, nurses, physicians and lab technicians – as well as community volunteers who assisted with registration, translation, data entry and escorting patients.
CDA Cares was supported by a number of donors and sponsors, including:
Presenting Sponsors ($50,000 and above)
• Carestream Dental
• Henry Schein Dental
• San Joaquin County
• TDIC
• Western Dental
Gold Sponsors ($10,000 – $24,999)
• Farmers Insurance
• Health Plan of San Joaquin
• KaVo Kerr Group NOMAD™*
• Patterson Dental
• San Joaquin County Dental Society
Platinum Sponsors ($25,000 – $49,999)
• Dignity Health
• Global Experience Specialists
The California Dental Association Foundation is planning another CDA Cares event next year in San Mateo April 22-23.
For information about CDA Cares, visit cdafoundation.org.
About the California Dental Association Foundation
The CDA Foundation was formed as the philanthropic arm of the California Dental Association in 2001 with the mission to improve the oral health of all Californians by supporting the dental health profession in its efforts to meet community needs. The CDA Foundation provides grants and scholarships to dental students and professionals, promotes oral health prevention and education, and holds dental clinics around the state that provide dental care at no charge to Californians in need.
