HELP THE AUSTRALIAN DENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION DO MORE
The Australian Dental Health Foundation (ADHF) is pleased to report on what will be expected to be the provision of over $1 million in free dental treatment for disadvantaged Australians along with over $110,000 in study grants supporting indigenous dental students and community grants over 2017-18. The ADHF is using this opportunity to ask the public to provide further volunteer dad financial support so that more deserving Australians can receive dental care.
The Australian Dental Health Foundation’s (ADHF) vision is to:
Provide deserving Australians with access to quality oral care regardless of geographic or socio-economic situation
1. Provided dental treatment to disadvantaged Australians
Our long running Dental Rescue Days and Adopt a Patient programs have delivered free dental treatment of over $790,000 to deserving Australians in this period with the expectation that in the financial year the value of this treatment will exceed $1,000,000.
In the more recently created Rebuilding Smiles program where victims of domestic violence are provided with free care, over 70 applications have been received-mostly from Agencies that support victims of violence. Over $28,000 of dental has been provided in the 11 cases where treatment has been completed.
Mr David Owen, Chair of the ADHF, said, "These programs not only provide essential dental care but with that comes the restoration of the patient’s self-esteem and well-being, to enable them to re-enter society and provide for themselves and their families".
2. Provision of Study grants
To improve the provision of dental services to indigenous Australians, five study grants of $5,000 each has been provided to Indigenous students undertaking courses of study leading to qualification as a dental hygienist or oral health therapist.
The encouragement provided by these grants helps these students obtain their qualifications and then go on to provide valuable care to Indigenous Australians.
3. Provision of Community grants
To enhance the quality of delivery of dental care over $85,000 in grants are provided to help bridge the gap in access to oral care and services across Australia for communities in need. Through these grants, volunteer dentists and dental students help to develop or provide free-of-charge treatment programs to patients from some of Australia’s most disadvantaged communities. These programs are often the forerunner to the development of more sophisticated and extensive programs of care.
Mr Owen continued, "Our supporters and volunteers enable the ADHF to do all this. Our supporters range from all parts of the dental sector and beyond. First and foremost the dentists who provide their care; Australian Dental Association; Pacific Smiles Group, as Major Sponsor of the Dental Rescue Day and Adopt a Patient programs; Wrigley Company Foundation; Colgate, Praktika, SDI, Henry Schein Halas, Southern Cross Dental and Straumann. Many others also assist and all are sincerely thanked for their efforts".
If you would like to volunteer your services let us know by emailing [email protected].
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