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May 19, 2009 | DentalProductsReport.com Exclusive Being charitable in a down economy
Dental volunteers treat underserved children at a Team Smile event. Photo courtesy of Dr. Bill Busch. Your time, skills and good will can make a difference in the dental community. Giving back to the dental community doesn’t have to require a monetary donation or fundraising. You can find ways to give back and make a difference by volunteering and offering the same skills you use in your practice to provide dental care for those who otherwise could not afford vital treatments. Dental charities allow many underserved individuals to receive the dental care they need. These such charities fund dental clinics, outreach programs, and education and services, while also raising awareness to the needs in the dental community. Providing education on the importance of good oral health can be just as critical as delivering the treatment for some underserved populations. TeamSmile, a flagship program of Henry Schein Cares, is one of a number of organizations that rely on volunteer efforts from dentists and hygienists to help deliver dental care to those who would otherwise go without. The group’s initial event was tied in with a Kansas City Chiefs football weekend, but has since expanded to include professional baseball and college football, NFL events at cities in addition to Kansas City, and last year TeamSmile’s schedule included a PGA golf event with Justin Timberlake. “It’s inspiring to be a part of something this grand, when you talk about giving back to underserved children and adult populations. When you can give back, you can really do something different than work in your practice. It gives the doctor a different type of mindset of why they got into dental,” said Jason Krause, co-founder of TeamSmile, and committee member of Give Kids a Smile, an ADA outreach program. Many programs are not looking for monetary donations; the goal is to get the doctor to volunteer and spend time using his or her skills to treat those in need of dental treatment. It’s an opportunity for the dental professional to make an immediate impact on someone who otherwise may not receive the dental attention they need. TeamSmile holds all-day events where each participating dentist has a chair, one operatory, and sees a child every hour. These events take place in conjunction with a sporting event and in addition to receiving free dental care, participating children often are given tickets to the events along with patient education and oral health homecare materials. “In that hour the goal is to do as much critical care needs as possible,” said Krause. “A doctor can do a couple fillings, a couple extractions. The goal is to do as much work as possible in that hour.” Danny Bobrow, MBA, executive director for Climb for a Cause, and president of the American Dental Marketing Company, believes that a down economy represents an opportunity for dentists who become or remain committed to charitable giving. He reminded me that, if everyone ceases giving during lean times, the situation becomes even more challenging for those in greatest need. “Because most people view their charitable contributions as a ‘discretionary outlay’ during an economic downturn, such outlays decrease. This makes it particularly hard for foundations to maintain their support levels: it also makes those who remain committed, or who become committed during such times, all the more special and appreciated,” says Bobrow. Bobrow says the key is to not keep your good work a secret. Instead, he suggests, get people around you involved and grow support. “The more support you bring to bear: and an unavoidable, yet positive, consequence of all this is that your ‘publics’ hold you in even higher esteem. Besides, it’s the right thing to do,” says Bobrow. Getting involved in a charity whether it’s through volunteering, donations or fundraisings, not only is personally rewarding, but it also can be used to market yourself and your practice. (See, " Making a difference with cause-related event marketing") So how do you get involved? Pick a charity that speaks to you, and one you feel passionate about. At some point, you may want to embark on your own charitable events and efforts. On the right are some charities to begin your research.
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