Hey, I told you previously that I’m a sucker for good causes, and the fantastic dental charities that I’ve listed below are no exception. Sadly, the ironic thing about our poor economy is that more people are in need of these charities’ services than ever before, yet fewer people are in a position to ensure that these charities remain funded. In any event, I believe it is important that we’re aware of these charities so they’re more accessible to those in need. Without further ado, here’s the list:

1) The National Children’s Oral Health Foundation

The National Children’s Oral Health Foundation “is the only independent non-profit national children’s health organization exclusively focused on supporting delivery of comprehensive oral healthcare for economically disadvantaged children(ncohf.org)”. Their 10-year plan includes educating and screening 20+ million children, and treating $5 million of those throughout the U.S. and globally.

Link: www.ncohf.org

2) American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Charitable Foundation (AACDCF)

The AACDCF is quite unique in that a portion of their mission is dedicated to providing dental care services at no cost to survivors of domestic abuse. You’ll also see the AACDCF providing much-needed dental work to victims of natural disasters. If you use Twitter, you can follow them (@TheAACD). I follow them myself – real good people.

Link: AACD.com

3) Healthy Smiles Healthy Children

Founded in 1987 by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Healthy Smiles Healthy Children’s mission is to “support and promote education, research, service and policy development that advance the oral health of infants and children through adolescence, including those with special health care needs(aapd.org).”

Link: AAPD.org

4) National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped (NFDH)

The NFDH is a charitable affiliate of the American Dental Association that’s dedicated “to arranging comprehensive dental treatment and long-term preventive services to needy disabled, elderly or medically compromised individuals through a national network of direct service programs that involve
more than 12,900 volunteer dentists and 2,700 volunteer laboratories(NFDH.org).” The NFDH claims to provide $15 of dental services for every $1 they spend!

Link: NFDH.org

5) Oral Health America

Oral Health American differs from the other organizations on this list because their primary focus is advocacy. Their mission is “to improve public health by eliminating oral disease, especially for the country’s most vulnerable citizens. OHA works to accomplish this by educating and empowering communities to provide access to care, and by advocating for policies that create oral health parity(OralHealthAmerica.org).” Over the years, Oral Health America has been responsible for a number of notable oral care awareness programs including: National Smile Month; the National Spit Tobacco Education Program (NSTEP); Smiles Across America®; the Special Olympics Special Smiles.

Link: OralHealthAmerica.org

Share Others You’re Aware Of

I realize that this list is just scratching the surface. There are hundreds of charitable organizations with similar goals making a difference in people’s lives every day. That’s where I could use your help. If you know of others that Dental Heroes’ readers should check out, please leave the name of the organization and their website address(if applicable) in a comment below. Thanks!

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