The Greater Springfield Dental Society is an active
group of 246 dentists in Southwest Missouri. The group generously supports
the community through the Greater Springfield Dental Foundation.
The first charitable activity of the Foundation has been performed by its
members for over 20 years -- providing State-required dental screenings for
specific students at Springfield Public Schools through individual volunteerism
each and every year. In a typical year, members of the Springfield Dental
Foundation and Society provide professional dental screenings for 7,500 children
at 38 schools in grades K, 1, 3 and 5. This is something that has to be completed
each Fall by October 1.Also for well over 20 years, the Springfield Dental
Foundation has educated children on oral health during February which is
Children's Dental Health Month. Volunteer dentists go into public schools
in their communities and make presentations to 4th grade classes. A
toothbrush is provided for each child and videos are shown along with pertinent
oral health education. About $1,500 is spent each year by the Foundation
on toothbrushes."Access to care" has been the central, overriding issue in dentistry
for many years and the theme for charitable support by the Springfield Dental
Foundation over the past 10 years. In early 2000, the Greater Springfield
Dental Society through the Greater Springfield Dental Foundation partnered
with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of the Ozarks to investigate
an on-going and significant solution to the severe lack of access to dental
treatment experienced by at risk children in our area. Foundation members,
lead by Dr. Kevin Wallace, provided expertise, advice and resources during
an 18-month process of working hand in hand with RMHC and determining the
elements and composition of what was to become the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile,
fondly known as "The Tooth Truck". In the Spring of 2000, the Greater
Springfield Dental Foundation, through new contributions from members of
the Greater Springfield Dental Society, presented a $75,000 pledge towards
the project. Additionally, the Foundation has provided a $5,000 sponsorship
for each of six consecutive years to support the Sertoma GRIN IRON CLASSIC,
an all-star high school football game designed to benefit the Ronald McDonald
Care Mobile. After fulfilling their initial $75,000 pledge, the Greater
Springfield Dental Foundation renewed their commitment with an additional
$75,000 three-year pledge to support the operations of the Ronald McDonald
Care Mobile.Greater Springfield Dental Society Members comprise 50% of "The Tooth
Truck, Inc." Board of Directors, a Missouri not-for-profit corporation
formed for the purpose of overseeing dental treatment performed by the Ronald
McDonald Care Mobile. The board is chaired by Dr. Carol McCall.Officials
with Ronald McDonald House Charities believe that without the Greater Springfield
Dental Foundation's concern, involvement, expertise and financial support,
the project would not have come to fruition. The swift involvement, critical
expertise and generous enthusiasm of the Greater Springfield Dental Foundation
and Society were instrumental in the project becoming a reality in just one
year after RMHC's board approval.
In recognition of his leadership of the Foundation's efforts to support the
Ronald McDonald Care Mobile and other programs designed to increase access
to care, Dr. Kevin Wallace was honored in October with a Springfield Area
Chamber of Commerce "Salute to Healthcare Award". He was also recognized
by the Missouri Dental Association in November as the Missouri Dentist of
the Year.
While the Greater Springfield Dental Foundation was busy investigating the
need for the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, in April of 2000 the group also
formed an "Access to Care Committee." This committee's mission
is to improve the alarming lack of access to dental care for children in
our community. After many meetings and discussions on the problem,
the "Emergency Access to Care" model was developed. Emergency
Access to Care recruited 60 Springfield Dental Society dentists to volunteer
to treat emergency dental problems in the Springfield R-12 School District
on a rotating basis. This program is coordinated between the R-12 Health
Department and the Springfield Dental Society office. Children in acute
pain are given free dental care by the 60 volunteer dentists. From September
2001 through May 2004, 340 children were seen for total donated services
of $65,568. Prevention education is also a major theme of the Greater Springfield
Dental Foundation's involvement in the community.
The Greater Springfield Dental Foundation recently donated $12,000 and initiated
an additional fundraising campaign for the $60,000 "Big Mouth" walk-through
exhibit featured in the Discovery Center in Springfield. The project
is designed to improve dental healthcare awareness. The exhibit has multiple
interactive areas that focus on all aspects of the mouth and oral cavity,
from tooth brushing and braces to the function and anatomy of the major components
of the oral cavity, as well as addressing preventive dental healthcare issues.
This exhibit, a part of the Discovery Center's "BodyWorks", is
being used to create an on-going education program that will teach dental
anatomy, function, hygiene and disease prevention utilizing its unique hands-on
approach that has proven to be successful with both children and adults.
BodyWorks has served over 50,000 visitors since its inception in 1996 and
is the most requested program at the Discovery Center for preschools, public
and private elementary schools and agencies serving at risk youth and disabled
adults.
Each year in February, dozens of dentists, and their staffs in the 16-county
area of the Greater Springfield Society join the American Dental Association's
national effort known as "Give Kids A Smile Day." The Greater Springfield
Dental Foundation coordinates the area event. On that day, hundreds of free
appointments are scheduled in individual dentist's offices to treat the underserved
children of local communities. The effort is coordinated through the local
school systems and criteria for the care required the children to be on the
free school lunch program.
The Greater Springfield Dental Foundation has impacted the 'access to care'
issue in many ways for children in our community, both through donated dollars
and the time, efforts and expertise of its members. The results of their
dedication and commitment truly speak for themselves.