The DCDS Foundation strives to match volunteer dentists, hygienists, assistants and dental students with local nonprofits who have clients needing oral health care assistance. We are especially in need of oral surgeons to accept referrals.
To volunteer for any of the year-round local community efforts below, please complete the form found here or email [email protected]rg. Scheduled special events can also be found at https://www.dcdsfoundation.org/events/. Your generous donation of time and talents are appreciated!
If you have dental supplies/equipment that you would like to donate to a local clinic, we can help match you with a clinic that has a need! Please send an email describing the items to [email protected].
Give Kids a Smile
After two years of virtual events, Give Kids a Smile is back in person for 2023! The event will be held on February 3, 2023 at 10 DISD campuses through an outreach partnership with the Dallas Parks and Recreation Afterschool Program that specifically serves underserved communities (locations and times are TBD). We are looking for Dentists, Dental Hygienists, Dental Assistants, Dental Students and anyone else who may be interested in participating. The event will consist of dental screenings and fluoride varnish applications as well as oral hygiene instructions and education. The event was a huge success in previous years, and we are looking forward to making this the best year yet!
Click here to register as a volunteer.
For more information, email [email protected] or call Rosemary at 972-386-5741 x225.
Thank you for your interest in giving back to your community through Give Kids a Smile – Dallas 2023, organized through DCDS Foundation and ADA Give Kids a Smile.
Senior’s Smiles
Do you enjoy working with the elderly? Senior’s Smiles, a program aimed at nursing homes, need your expertise and time! In coordination with the Dallas Dental Hygienists’ Association, the DCDS Foundation provides oral health education to the elderly in our community.
Tooth Talk
When school kicks into gear, so do we! Volunteers give Tooth Talk presentations at local elementary schools in coordination with the Dallas Dental Hygienists’ Association, with supplies provided by the DCDS Foundation.
The HOPEFUL Smiles™ Program
Imagine how different your life would be if you lacked a very basic asset — your smile. Though most of us take our smiles for granted, many are not so fortunate. Simply greeting someone with a smile can be daunting for women with missing or damaged teeth. The cause of the damage varies, but its impact remains the same: women who suffer from an impaired ability to smile are hindered in both professional and social settings. To address this problem, we founded HOPEFUL Smiles™ in 2006 to offer restorative dental care to qualifying Attitudes & Attire clients.
Hopeful Smiles is a unique partnership with local dental professionals to assist women who are in critical need of restorative dental care. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and our talented team of dental professionals, we have restored the smiles of over 200 women. Although over 55 dentists in the DFW area participate in the program, more dentists are needed. Dentists provide their time and talents and the Hopeful Smiles program provides funds for the materials.
Dallas Prosthodontics has been associated with Hopeful Smiles for over four years. There is no greater feeling than to be in a position to give someone their life back through their smile. My experience with Hopeful Smiles’ patients has been more than rewarding. The impact we are able to make on the patient’s life is as gratifying to us as it is to them. We look forward to each and every case. — Dr. Paulino Castellon
Attitudes & Attire® clients must have impaired smiles or severely, damaged anterior teeth that limit their employ-ability or health. They must be committed to their personal growth and sobriety, if addiction has been an issue in their past, and be actively seeking or maintaining employment or obtaining continued education. who participate in the HOPEFUL Smiles program must complete the following requirements:
- Attend the first, second and third workshops at Attitudes & Attire.
- Have missing or impaired teeth that are visible when they smile.
- Complete 20 hours of volunteer service at Attitudes & Attire within 6 months of completing the third workshop.
- Demonstrate they are currently employed or actively involved in a job search.
- Have a minimum of 12 months of sobriety if addiction has been an issue in the past.
- Arrange own transportation to all dental appointments.
- Pay a $25 non-refundable application fee.
- Attend scheduled appointments on time and adhere to the dentist’s instructions. Clients who are unable to follow these rules will be asked to leave the program immediately.
- Patience and gratitude are determining factors for selection into the HOPEFUL Smiles program.
For more information, visit the HOPEFUL Smiles website.
Attitudes & Attire® Speakers
DCDS Foundation Board approved an affiliation with Attitudes & Attire to provide speakers for educational workshops and help raise awareness of volunteer opportunities for the organizations initiatives, including the HOPEFUL Smiles, Boots to Heels and Veterans Serving Veterans. Attitudes & Attire is a nonprofit agency dedicated to promoting personal growth for women seeking self-sufficiency. The organization serves women emerging from difficult and desperate situations, such as domestic violence, addiction, incarceration, illness and chronic unemployment.
Veterans Serving Veterans
The Veterans Serving Veterans program seeks to pair HOPEFUL Smiles clients in the Boots to Heels program with veteran dentists. Currently fifty-five dentists in the Dallas area have agreed to provide mission dentistry in their offices, but more are needed.