Forty American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) members and affiliated volunteers from across the U.S. helped provide free dental care to 91 homeless children during the first annual Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children (HSHC) Dental Home Day.
The event, held May 22 at the Orange Blossom Family Health Center in Orlando, FL, during the AAPD annual session, was sponsored by Sunstar Americas. Orlando patients received preventive and restorative services, oral health instruction, and home care kits, courtesy of Sunstar. Home care kits were also provided to adults accompanying Dental Home Day patients.
Dental Home Day patients receive ongoing care supported by HSHC Access to Care Grants. Orange Blossom received a total of $45,000 in grants to help provide dental homes to participating patients for the next 12 months. AAPD members contributed an additional $10,000 to support the kids' ongoing care.
During the next 12 months, the Orange Blossom dental team will report quarterly to HSHC the number of children returning for restorative, preventive, and other appointments. They'll also track incidences in which siblings of Dental Home Day patients seek care at the clinic and track those children who don't return or have sporadic follow-up visits.
Plans for the 2014 Dental Home Day during the AAPD annual session in Boston are underway. HSHC will be issuing requests for proposal to qualified agencies by summer's end, and dental clinic directors from metropolitan Boston are encouraged to inquire.
