As part of its annual Celebration of Smiles event during the Chicago Dental Society’s MidWinter Meeting last month, America’s ToothFairy honored Mobile Care Chicago with a $5,000 grant to support its services for underserved children in the Chicago area. The contribution will provide resources for the dental clinic’s mobile program, which served more than 7,500 children last year.
Through the National Mobile Care Initiative, sponsored by Patterson Dental, America’s ToothFairy clinical partners overcome barriers to care by providing dental services in mobile units, schools and childcare facilities, community centers, and other familiar settings to bring dental services to underserved children who live in urban and rural Dental Healthcare Professional Shortage Areas who have limited transportation options.
“Many of the families we serve work multiple jobs or have multiple children to care for. Taking time off of work or away from other caregiving responsibilities to travel across or into the city and waiting for an appointment is particularly difficult for these families,” said Matt Siemer, executive director of Mobile Care Chicago.
“The generosity of America’s ToothFairy enabled Mobile Care to not only maintain care in the deeply underserved southern suburbs of Chicago but to add over 140 new patients last year. We are so grateful for this grant, as it will help us treat even more children in the coming year,” said Siemer.
“Thanks to support from Patterson Dental, our National Mobile Care Initiative provided critical resources and support to 42 mobile dental clinics serving 152,641 children last year,” said Jill Malmgren, executive director of America’s ToothFairy. “We are so pleased to provide these additional resources to Mobile Care Chicago as they provide high-quality services to underserved children in and around Chicago.”
“Patterson Dental has been proud to partner with America’s ToothFairy for many years,” said Tim Rogan, senior vice president and general manager of Patterson Dental. “And we are especially pleased to act as title sponsor of this important initiative to help provide exceptional care and essential preventive services to children who might otherwise have to go without.”
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