Nearly 1,500 volunteers, such as Delta Dental of Arizona board members, executives, employees and network dentists, converged on the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on December 11 and 12 to participate in the Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy.
The annual event was organized by the Central Arizona Dental Society Foundation, which provided free dental care to 1,825 adults and children who cannot access and/or afford dental treatment.
Delta Dental of Arizona and its Foundation donated $17,000 to the event.
“Without the support of Delta Dental of Arizona, the (Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy) would never have been possible,” said Dr. Pat Rabot, Central Arizona Dental Society Foundation board president. “2015 was our biggest event to date providing more than $2 million in free dental care in just a two-day period. Our thanks and appreciation goes out to all of our sponsors, but most especially Delta Dental, our founding sponsor and biggest champion.”
The event also marked the debut of new portable dental chairs, digital X-ray equipment, laptop computers and software donated by the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation for use by service organizations across the state.
The new equipment, valued at $40,000, is now housed at the Phoenix Community ToolBank and can be checked out by dental and healthcare organizations for community events for a minimal fee.
“We are very pleased to help sponsor the Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy because the need for care is so great,” said Allan Allford, Delta Dental of Arizona CEO. “The really amazing part of this is when you watch patients leaving the building after having treatment with smiles on their faces and the satisfaction that they’re finally getting the dental treatment they needed and deserved.”
In 2014, approximately 1,700 people received assistance equaling $1.8 million in free dental care for adults and children who cannot access and/or afford dental treatment.
For more information on the annual event or to find out how you can help, visit www.azmom.org.
