|
Donated Dental Services
Applications
Board Members
Contact Us
Funding
How YOU Can Help
Links
Newsletter
Services
Success Stories
Thank Yous
|
Donated Dental Services (DDS) is a statewide organization dedicated to meeting the oral health needs of disabled, elderly, or medically compromised Arkansans who cannot afford needed treatment.
The National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped was established in 1974 to address these problems. A charitable affiliate of the American Dental Association, the Foundation is a national charitable organization solely dedicated to meeting the oral health needs of citizens with physical, medical, and mental disabilities.
The Arkansas DDS Program is a licensee of the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped.
The program has been endorsed by the:
* American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
* The American College of Dentists
* American Academy of Periodontology and
* Academy of General Dentistry.
Donated Dental Services Summary:
Our country�s standard of dental care is the highest in the world, yet those Americans most desperately in need often go undeserved. Some are mentally disabled, others are physically challenged. They may suffer from mental retardation, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, mental illnesses, or many other disabilities. Or they may be older and living on fixed incomes.
Along with the disabling conditions which my complicate treatment, countless disabled and elderly people do not receive needed dental care because they cannot afford it, or are unable to travel easily to dentist�s offices. Others suffer because their families or caretakers are apathetic about dentistry.
The Donated Dental Services Program (DDS) is a licensee of the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped. Arkansas�s program was founded in July 1997, and is dedicated to meeting the dental needs of the disabled, elderly, and medically compromised population in their state.
Among the factors restricting access to dental care for disabled and elderly Arkansans, paying for treatment is the most serious barrier. Their employment income is minimal, as is government aid. In Arkansas, Medicaid does not cover dental care for adults. In addition, Medicare has no dental care available to its enrollees. There is no other formal statewide program to assist those in need. While free/discounted dental clinics exist in certain areas, they often have lengthy waiting lists, and often are unable to provide comprehensive care.
And so Arkansas�s Donated Dental Services program began, and is dedicated to meeting the dental needs of the disabled, elderly, and medically compromised population in their state.
Arkansas's Donated Dental Services is a part of:
|
