Community Involvement

CDA Cares

CDA Cares, a collaborative effort among the California Dental Association Foundation (CDAF) and CDA, will offer free dental care to Californians who have difficulty accessing care, including the uninsured, underinsured, unemployed and others in need. Patients will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. The main goal of CDA Cares is to review pain and infection. Volunteers needed: dental lab technicians, dentists, specialist—including oral surgeons—hygienists, dental assistants, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, translators, and other members of the community willing to donate their time. In addition to providing dental services, volunteers are needed to escort patients and translate, dispense medication, setup and tear down the clinic, register patients and volunteers, conduct exit interviews, enter data, provide oral health education and more. To volunteer, visit: www.cdafoundation.org/give/volunteer/cda-cares-volunteer-dental-program

RAM California

In April of 2011, Remote Area Medical® (RAM) with hosts The California Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the TZU Chi Foundation launched free health care clinics to the communities in California. Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Remote Area Medical® was founded in 1985 to take airborne medical relief to areas of the third world, and in 1992, expanded free services in the United States.

In California, volunteers from the oral surgeons, dental societies, and general services have formed RAM California, an affiliate of the Remote Area Medical Foundation. In the long-term, RAM California will expand with its own mobile equipment to provide free care around the state and to augment other organizations' existing health care efforts. To learn more about upcoming RAM California events, and to volunteer for a RAM event, visit: www.ram-ca.org.

MPDS Give Kids a Smile School Screening Program

The Mid-Peninsula Dental Society (MPDS) School Screening Program has been going strong for many years. The Program provides volunteer dentists the opportunity to help promote proper oral hygiene to students enrolled in the MPDS area and to provide oral health screenings. All volunteers must be licensed member dentists. Volunteers will confirm that they carry liability insurance and forward a copy of Proof of Liability Declaration to the MPDS. Please donate 2-3 hours (or more).

Ravenswood Family Health Center "Give a Smile Day"

Local Mid-Peninsula Dental Society dentists participate at Ravenswood Family Health Center, Palo Alto in their “Give a Smile Day” program in which they provided treatment to low-income children. Ravenswood Family Dentistry, an 11-operatory safety-net dental clinic, opened in April 2010 in response to a significant gap in access to oral healthcare. Since 2011 there have been volunteers that donate their time as Dentists, Dental Hygienists, Dental assistants, Sterilization Technicians and other office needs. Each year they see at least 60 patients throughout the day with an estimated value of $21,960 in volunteered services. www.ravenswoodfhc.org