Charitable group keen to recruit more volunteer dentists
A dentist from Oakland County has joined forces with a human services agency to help provide free dental treatment for Michigan residents who are struggling to afford dental care.
Dr Steve Wolf has teamed up with the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center to try and help thousands of people across the state that are on a low income or unemployed; however, the demand for treatment far outweighs the supply and the team are looking for more volunteers. Currently, seventeen dentists have agreed to provide care free of charge but more volunteers are needed.
The Adopt A Smile programme was launched in 2003 to help local people with developmental disabilities; since the start hundreds of people have been treated and the programme has expanded rapidly. Funding for the Medicaid system has been cut radically and the programme has helped to relieve some of the burden for the state’s poorest people.
The programme has enjoyed great success but cannot deal with the huge demand for treatment; at the moment, it is estimated that over 5,000 people with developmental disabilities need care and there are simply not enough volunteers to provide the services.
The volunteer team, which is supported by the Michigan Dental Association, has recently launched a media campaign to encourage dentists and dental professionals to get on board and help out. Dr Wolf hopes that more dentists will join the team and agree to offer their time and services free of charge; the programme is making a real difference to local people and Dr Wolf hopes that the success will continue in the future.
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