Fifty people safely received dental care at no cost at a small CDA Cares clinic Nov. 20 in Woodland, California.
The CDA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the California Dental Association, hosted the clinic at Northern Valley Indian Health. With the support of 31 volunteers, including the NVIH staff, dentists were able to safely perform 271 procedures, such as fillings, cleanings and extractions, for a total of $28,211 in care.
Although smaller than the Foundation’s traditional CDA Cares clinics, the event still proved to be an impactful experience for everyone involved.
“Whether we’re providing care to 1,900 people or 50 people, having the opportunity to relieve patients of their oral health complications and witness them have their smiles restored in an environment that’s safe for everyone is a privilege that we don’t take for granted,” said Richard Graham, DDS, CDA Cares committee chair.
The safety of patients and volunteers was a top priority at the event. All patients, regardless of their vaccination status, underwent a COVID-19 prescreening that included a rapid COVID-19 test prior to treatment. The clinic was also able to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to 13 patients on-site.
The Nov. 20 event was the Foundation’s second small clinic since the onset of the pandemic nearly two years ago. In September 2020, the Foundation safely hosted a small event in Long Beach to honor its commitment to 11 patients who would have received full or partial dentures at the CDA Cares clinic scheduled to take place in July 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic.
This year’s clinic allowed the Foundation to expand its reach to more Californians in need of oral health care without compromising the safety of patients, volunteers or dental staff.
“At this time, we don’t know when we’ll be able to safely host a large clinic like we have in previous years, but we are continuously looking for ways to offer alternatives so that people in need can get the care they deserve,” Dr. Graham said.
The Foundation will share details about upcoming events in 2022 as they become available.
In the meantime, individuals can locate a dental care provider by doing one of the following:
- Searching CDA’s list of low-cost dental clinics by ZIP code.
- Searching for a California health center through the California Primary Care Association website.
- Searching the Medi-Cal Dental Program directory for providers who may be accepting new Medi-Cal patients.