Dental News - AGD and AGD Foundation to provide free care to hundreds of Philadelphia's underserved residents

Dental Tribune USA

Wed. 13 June 2012

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PHILADELPHIA, Pa., USA: On Saturday, June 23, the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) and the AGD Foundation will partner with the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine to hold its third annual community outreach project, "Nation of Smiles, One Smile at a Time." The event will take place during the AGD's 2012 Annual Meeting & Exhibits, scheduled for June 21 to 24.

Hundreds of volunteer dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, and University of Pennsylvania dental students and faculty anticipate providing free dental care to more than 500 Philadelphia residents. Patients will be pre-selected from a variety of local shelters, clinics and charities.

At the AGD 2011 "Nation of Smiles, One Smile at a Time" event in San Diego, Calif., AGD volunteers provided care to local homeless veterans; the value of the provided oral health care services was approximately $80,000, or $625 per patient. In 2010, at the AGD's first outreach event in New Orleans, AGD volunteers provided nearly $100,000 in free oral care to approximately 180 underserved area residents.

"For the past three years, we've offered an outreach project to coincide with the location of our annual meeting in order to give back to the community," says AGD President Howard Gamble, DMD, FAGD. "It is an honor for our association to serve residents of Philadelphia by providing the oral care that these individuals so desperately need. AGD volunteers are committed to ensuring that these patients receive the high level of care that is consistent with AGD members' commitment to oral and overall health."

Notable guests from the community have committed to attend the AGD outreach project in order to show their support for this effort, including Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell.The media is welcome to attend for interview opportunities.

"Penn Dental Medicine plays a vital role in the delivery of oral health care at reduced costs to the West Philadelphia community. Unfortunately, our capacity to deliver this care is limited and many of our neighbors do not have the resources necessary or any access to oral health care," says Heywood Kotch, DMD, MAGD, Assistant Dean of Clinical Operations at Penn Dental Medicine. "This day of outreach will allow Penn to join forces with the AGD to highlight this dire need and to provide free care to a portion of our most needy neighbors."

The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, located at 240 South 40th St., in Philadelphia.

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