CHICAGO (March 7, 2013) – Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children (HSHC): The Foundation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) is recruiting volunteers for its first annual Dental Home Day, a community service event that will provide dental care to at least 100 homeless children from the Orlando area.
Sponsored by Sunstar Americas, Dental Home Day is Wednesday, May 22, 2013, the day before the opening of the AAPD’s 66th Annual Session in Orlando. HSHC is recruiting dentists, assistants, hygienists and other volunteers to help with the daylong event.
“The Dental Home is critical to everything the Foundation does,” said HSHC President David Curtis, DMD. “Dental Home Day is our chance to give back to our Annual Session community and help support continuing care for participating patients.” According to the AAPD, a Dental Home is defined as an ongoing relationship between a dentist and patient, which is why the host clinic will receive HSHC Access to Care Grants totaling $35,000 to help cover ongoing oral care costs of the Dental Home Day participants following the event.
While Florida law requires treating professionals to be licensed in that state, there will be plenty of opportunities for volunteers, regardless of where they’re licensed. “We know everyone who signs up won’t be available and we know we won’t have jobs for everyone who volunteers this year, but we encourage interested professionals to register,” Curtis said. “Even if we don’t have a spot for you this year, we’ll be looking for volunteers in Boston [2014] and Seattle [2015].”
Dental professionals interested in volunteering at Dental Home Day should visit www.aapd.org/foundation/kids and click on the “volunteer” icon at the bottom of the page.