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6/5/2010

Donated Dental Services

imageVideo: "A complex problem"

Donated Dental Services (DDS), a program through which dental care is provided to vulnerable patients—those with disabilities, the elderly or medically compromised people who can neither afford treatment nor obtain public aid, is expanding in New York State.

Designed by dentists, for dentists, DDS is operated efficiently by the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped (NFDH) through DDS coordinators right here in our state. More than 14,100 dentists and 2,800 labs volunteer for DDS nationwide.

The expansion of the DDS program in New York State is an exciting opportunity to help us increase access to care. We need your help to make it a success.

DDS makes volunteering easy for you...

  • DDS patients are screened for eligibility. Through the intake process, your DDS Coordinator screens all potential patients for eligibility. This helps to reassure participating dentists and labs that patients truly qualify for assistance. Patients must be elderly, disabled, or medically compromised without the financial resources to pay for needed treatment.
  • You decide whom you will treat. DDS dentists typically treat one or two patients per year under the program. Information about an applicant will be sent to you in the form of a patient profile. You decide if you’d like to see the patient for an initial examination, and subsequently, whether or not you’d like to treat the patient.
  • You don’t have to leave your office. Work in the convenience of your own office with your trusted staff. No travel time is required, so your donated time is exclusively chair time. Your DDS Coordinator deals with transportation and other issues to make sure patients get to your office.
  • You determine the treatment plan. Your DDS Coordinator will work to support the treatment plan you believe is in the best interest of the patient and will arrange for volunteer specialists and laboratories as needed.
  • No paperwork or administrative responsibilities. The only form DDS volunteers are asked to complete is a simple postcard after a case is finished.
  • Reliable and appreciative patients. Applicants know they must be on time for all appointments and that failure to show without appropriate notice can result in dismissal from the program. DDS patients are truly grateful for your help and have been known to thank their dentists with everything from potted plants to homemade cheesecake!
  • DDS records and reports dentists’ collective contributions. DDS dentists can take pride in knowing that their contributions are being recorded and are reported in aggregate to show that dentists really do care.

This is an invaluable service to our profession, as we strive to continue to demonstrate that our dentists are compassionate and community-focused.

For a quick introduction to DDS, watch a short video by Dr. Gordon Christensen, National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped Board Member, at www.nfdh.org. 

For more information, contact the New York State Dental Foundation at 800-255-2100 or click here to volunteer.