CDA Cares San Mateo
The oral health need in our state remains dire — as we saw by the long line of people seeking care this weekend.
Sacramento, Calif. (PRWEB) April 24, 2017
The California Dental Association Foundation’s two-day volunteer dental clinic, CDA Cares, provided nearly $1.6 million in charitable dental services to 1,961 people during the April 22-23 event at the San Mateo Event Center.
In addition to providing dental services at no charge to Californians who experience barriers to care, CDA Cares educates the public and policymakers about the importance of good oral health and the need for an adequately funded dental safety net, which includes a well-functioning Denti-Cal program.
“The oral health need in our state remains dire — as we saw by the long line of people seeking care this weekend. The state’s Denti-Cal system is chronically underfunded and leaves many without access to dental care,” said CDA President Clelan Ehrler, DDS, MS. “CDA is committed to ensure that funds generated from the state’s new tobacco tax are spent as voters intended when they approved Proposition 56 — to improve access to care.”
During the two-day event, dentists and dental professionals provided 12,063 procedures, including fillings, extractions, cleanings and oral health education. Volunteer technicians in the clinic’s dental lab area worked to provide 220 complete and partial dentures and repairs.
More than 2,300 volunteers donated their time and services at the event, including 930 health professionals – dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, nurses and lab technicians – as well as hundreds of community volunteers who assisted with registration, translation, data entry and escorting patients.
The California Dental Association Foundation is planning another CDA Cares event this year in Bakersfield Oct. 6-7.
For information about CDA Cares, visit cdafoundation.org/cdacares.
About the California Dental Association Foundation:
The CDA Foundation was formed as the philanthropic arm of the California Dental Association in 2001 with the mission to improve the oral health of all Californians by supporting the dental health profession in its efforts to meet community needs. The CDA Foundation provides grants and scholarships to dental students and professionals, promotes oral health prevention and education, and holds dental clinics around the state that provide dental care at no charge to Californians in need.