Description
At the Virginia Dental Association Foundation (VDAF), we are passionate about dental care and oral health because they profoundly affect the well-being of individuals and communities. However, for many people, financial realities leave them with no hope of securing care. That is why our Foundation exists -- to help underserved Virginians get the dental services they need. As the charitable and outreach arm of the Virginia Dental Association, the VDAF garners the resources of dental professionals and the community at large to offer programs that improve the oral health.
Founded in 1996, the VDAF makes an immediate and tangible difference in the lives of underserved adults and children by providing high-quality dental care. All services are provided free of charge thanks to the support of more than 2,600 dental professionals and community members that volunteer their time and talents each year. The VDAF carries out its mission through three nationally-recognized programs:
+ Mission of Mercy (MOM): Launched in 2000, the MOM program operates up to eight mobile clinics annually - often in rural communities - to provide free dental care throughout Virginia. MOM celebrates its 15 th anniversary this year, and since the program’s inception, MOM volunteers have donated more than $33 million in care to over 53,000 patients.
+ Donated Dental Serv ices (DDS): Over 575 dentists and 145 dental labs volunteer their time and talents to provide comprehensive dental care for some of Virginia's most vulnerable groups - low-income seniors and adults with disabilities. DDS volunteers have donated nearly $10 million in care and restored over 3,100 patients to good oral health since the program began in 1997.
+ Give Kids a Smile!: An initiative of the American Dental Association, Give Kids a Smile offers oral health education to all participating children while providing free preventive and restorative care to kids that need it most. Give Kids A Smile also highlights for policymakers the ongoing challenges that underserved children and children with disabilities face in accessing dental care. The VDAF functions as an umbrella for the numerous Give Kids a Smile educational, screening, and treatment events held in Virginia.
VDAF programs help more than 7,500 Virginians each year get the care they need - all free of charge. We owe our success to our dedicated volunteers, generous donors, and partners like the VCU School of Dentistry, the Virginia Department of Health, and numerous other clinics and nonprofit agencies. To learn more about the Virginia Dental Association Foundation, volunteer or make a tax-deductible gift, visit www.vdaf.org or call (804) 523-2180.
