Donated Dental Services Program Joins the CDA Foundation

The CDA House of Delegates in November voted to finalize the transition of the Donated Dental Services (DDS) Program to the CDA Foundation.  The program will now operate on a full time basis seeking to expand the program’s efforts into 13 Southern California Counties.

The DDS program matches elderly, disabled and medically compromised individuals with volunteer dentists who donate much needed dental care to individuals with limited resources.  The program serves as the conduit between patients in need and the dental community.  A DDS Referral Coordinator is responsible for determining eligibility of applicants, linking patients with volunteer dentists, monitoring each patient’s progress through their treatment plan, and coordinating lab services. 

In 2008 the Southern California DDS program, 68 individuals received $236,495 in donated treatment, an increase of 26 individuals and $62,500 from 2007.  During the second half of 2008, through work with the local components, the DDS program expanded into Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego Counties.  The program will begin 2009 with 79 patients actively in treatment and 63 pending applications.  Currently 227 dentists volunteer in the Southern California DDS program.        

“The patients are very grateful for the care they receive,” says DDS Program Administrator Tahira Bazile. “I frequently hear about stories of how these patients lives have been changed by their visit.” In fact, one patient wrote a poem to volunteer dentist Lilian Ong, DDS from San Gabriel Dental Society.

There’s a dentist I know who was sent from above,
And for this angel I have nothing but gratitude and love.
This angel you see has made me whole again.
I haven’t smiled like this since I don’t know when.
She has saved my life asking nothing in return.
To be filled with that much kindness is a lesson we all could learn.
I’ll never forget you; you’ll always have a special place in my heart.
You gave me back my smile and in life a new start.
You really are one of the “Good Ones” Dr. Ong and if I could I’d have someone famous write you a song.
So I say thank you, thank you, thank you to this dentist with such gentile hands and style, you created a miracle as far as I’m concerned.

Dr. Alan Stein from San Fernando who has been an active DDS volunteer pointed out, “if 15,000 CDA members donated three DDS cases per year, we could assist 45,000 people. That’s making a difference. These are tough times for people and this is one easy way we in the dental community can do our part.”

For  your opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, visit www.cda.org or call Tahira Bazile, at 800.232.7645 Ext. 4971 or tahira.bazile@cda.org.