Over 2,000 patients nationwide received oral health care on Saturday, August 21st
IRVINE, CALIF. September 1, 2021 – Leading dental support organization Pacific Dental Services® (PDS), joined forces with Smile Generation to launch the 11th annual Smile Generation Serve Day, an annual day of service and nationwide campaign of giving that focuses on providing donated dentistry to underserved patients and community service. On Saturday, August 21st, more than 660 PDS-supported dental practices and volunteers throughout the United States provided over 2,000 patients with more than $4 million of oral health care, including some life changing procedures such as CEREC® same-day crowns, implants, root canals, oral surgery, and scaling and root planning, taking care of the patients’ overall dental care needs. Since its inception in 2011, more than 21,000 patients have received donated dentistry during Smile Generation Serve Day, totaling more than $39 million in oral health care.
“Service is at the core of who we are as an organization,” said Stephen E. Thorne IV, Founder and CEO of PDS, which supports over 825 dental practices in 24 states. “Participating in the act of service changes our hearts and minds about what matters most in life. Our success enables us to create opportunities to serve through improving oral health care locally, nationally and internationally. We’re humbled to be able to provide donated dentistry each year to thousands of people in need during Smile Generation Serve Day.”
Many of the patients treated during this year’s Smile Generation Serve Day event are U.S. military veterans or are affiliated with non-profit organizations like After Innocence. “After Innocence provides free post-release support to exonerees across the country, many of whom who have serious dental problems arising from years of inadequate care while in prison, and a general lack of good, affordable care since being released,” said Jon Eldan, Executive Director of After Innocence. “Smile Generation Serve Day is a game-changer for dozens of our exoneree-clients. Welcoming our exoneree clients into Smile Generation-trusted offices for pro bono services helps these deserving individuals take an important step in rebuilding their lives after wrongful convictions.”
To view a video featuring Mr. Thorne highlighting the importance of this annual event for Pacific Dental Services and its team members, please click here.
Since its inception in 1994, PDS has been committed to fostering a culture of Clinicians Leading Clinicians in Clinical Excellence®. Its primary purpose is to provide support so that clinicians can focus on providing oral health care to their patients to keep them healthier and happier. This includes educating patients about the link between oral health and whole-body health – what PDS and its supported practices call the Mouth-Body Connection®. Research shows that harmful bacteria and inflammation in the mouth can indicate and even cause systemic conditions throughout the body. Maladies of the mouth, including periodontal disease, may be linked with other medical conditions including oral cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and more.
For more on Smile Generation’s culture of service, please click here.