A front row seat at Dental Home Day , Dental Home Day national volunteer coordinator Dr. Cavan Brunsden checks out the shined up smile of a happy patient. I have not personally witnessed certain dental procedures. I’ve never had the ground-up view of an oral surgeon, prosthodontist, orthodontist, or periodontist. I have met quite a few of each profession face to face, but not from the reclined position. I’m grateful for that good fortune. In retrospect, I wish I could add endodontist to the list — not because of the treatment received but instead the bad behavior leading to that visit. Although RDH magazine publishes numerous articles on dental community outreach efforts, both foreign and domestic, I have never witnessed one. RDH gladly publicizes dentistry’s charitable efforts. The profession garners enough sour ink that causes us to momentarily hold our breath around consumers. So the volunteer efforts should be recognized as a frequent reminder of how kind dentistry can be. I could have asked for a front row seat at any number of charitable organizations that target thousands, not hundreds, of the beneficiaries of increased access to care. But, courtesy of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, I popped in for a visit to the facilities for the homeless at the Orange Blossom Family Health Center in Orlando, Fla. The AAPD, in conjunction with a grant from Sunstar Americas, is attempting to create “dental homes” for children who lack access to routine care. “Get kids to return to the dentist” seems to be the driving force behind the AAPD’s Dental Home Day, as opposed to any “We’re glad to be able to fix today’s problem for you. (Hope someone else can see you about tomorrow’s problems.)” Approximately 100 children showed up at the Orange Blossom Family Health Center. They received full treatment from an array of volunteer dentists and staff associated with the AAPD, as well as the health center’s regular staff. This may be smaller in scale than what is accomplished through larger charities. Both foreign and domestic, I have examined photographs of long lines of patients waiting for treatment at other “missionary dentistry” events; I personally witnessed no lines at Dental Home Day. When kids are involved, that’s a good thing. The goals in Orlando were also a little different. Add pediatric dentists to the list of experiences not personally observed by me from the reclined position. I can’t confirm this due to my lack of experience, of course, but pediatric dentists seem to like kids, and vice versa. They react very sweetly to each other — plenty of Kodak moments. From the costumed Star Wars characters out in the welcome area to the proliferation of brightly colored balloons everywhere, it was not difficult to see how a child might think going to a dentist is not a bad way to spend a few hours. Sunstar's Jackie Sanders, RDH, Dr. Mario Ramos, and Dr. Jim Nickman, take a break from triage during Dental Home Day. The AAPD was successful in relaying that message. A dental home for children who had not known one was created in Orlando. The dentist’s office is a place they can return to with very positive feelings in the future. The official name of the AAPD’s charity efforts is Healthy Smiles Healthy Children. Dental Home Day grew out of the Health Smiles Healthy Children program, and is scheduled to always be hosted a day or two before the association’s annual session each year. This means dental homes will be created in Boston in 2014 and in Seattle in 2015. Click here to learn more about Healthy Smiles Healthy Children. , http://bit.ly/14xoTCi

A front row seat at Dental Home Day , Dental Home Day national volunteer coordinator Dr. Cavan Brunsden checks out the shined up smile of a happy patient. I have not personally witnessed certain dental procedures. I’ve never had the ground-up view of an oral surgeon, prosthodontist, orthodontist, or periodontist. I have met quite a few of each profession face to face, but not from the reclined position. I’m grateful for that good fortune. In retrospect, I wish I could add endodontist to the list — not because of the treatment received but instead the bad behavior leading to that visit. Although RDH magazine publishes numerous articles on dental community outreach efforts, both foreign and domestic, I have never witnessed one. RDH gladly publicizes dentistry’s charitable efforts. The profession garners enough sour ink that causes us to momentarily hold our breath around consumers. So the volunteer efforts should be recognized as a frequent reminder of how kind dentistry can be. I could have asked for a front row seat at any number of charitable organizations that target thousands, not hundreds, of the beneficiaries of increased access to care. But, courtesy of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, I popped in for a visit to the facilities for the homeless at the Orange Blossom Family Health Center in Orlando, Fla. The AAPD, in conjunction with a grant from Sunstar Americas, is attempting to create “dental homes” for children who lack access to routine care. “Get kids to return to the dentist” seems to be the driving force behind the AAPD’s Dental Home Day, as opposed to any “We’re glad to be able to fix today’s problem for you. (Hope someone else can see you about tomorrow’s problems.)” Approximately 100 children showed up at the Orange Blossom Family Health Center. They received full treatment from an array of volunteer dentists and staff associated with the AAPD, as well as the health center’s regular staff. This may be smaller in scale than what is accomplished through larger charities. Both foreign and domestic, I have examined photographs of long lines of patients waiting for treatment at other “missionary dentistry” events; I personally witnessed no lines at Dental Home Day. When kids are involved, that’s a good thing. The goals in Orlando were also a little different. Add pediatric dentists to the list of experiences not personally observed by me from the reclined position. I can’t confirm this due to my lack of experience, of course, but pediatric dentists seem to like kids, and vice versa. They react very sweetly to each other — plenty of Kodak moments. From the costumed Star Wars characters out in the welcome area to the proliferation of brightly colored balloons everywhere, it was not difficult to see how a child might think going to a dentist is not a bad way to spend a few hours. Sunstar's Jackie Sanders, RDH, Dr. Mario Ramos, and Dr. Jim Nickman, take a break from triage during Dental Home Day. The AAPD was successful in relaying that message. A dental home for children who had not known one was created in Orlando. The dentist’s office is a place they can return to with very positive feelings in the future. The official name of the AAPD’s charity efforts is Healthy Smiles Healthy Children. Dental Home Day grew out of the Health Smiles Healthy Children program, and is scheduled to always be hosted a day or two before the association’s annual session each year. This means dental homes will be created in Boston in 2014 and in Seattle in 2015. Click here to learn more about Healthy Smiles Healthy Children. , http://bit.ly/14xoTCi , via Dental Teach " Daily Dental Info " http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=611266345564585&set=a.578897982134755.1073741843.110664842291407&type=1