The Texas Dental Association Smiles Foundation (TDASF), founded in 2006, merged from the organization’s two existing foundations: The Texas Dental Foundation (f. 1987) and Texas Dentists for Healthy Smiles (f. 2001). Since our inception, our focus has been on education and access, providing dental care and education to the underserved population of Texas, relieving pain and improving quality of li
fe through our very successful programs:
First, Texas Mission of Mercy (TMOM) is a multi-annual travelling dental clinic that sets up in urban and rural areas all over Texas. Volunteer dental professionals provide free treatment to attendees on a first-come, first-serve basis, including fillings, cleanings, extractions, and removable partials, to relieve pain and improve oral health. Each TMOM provides between 150-1,000 people with $100,000-600,000 worth of charitable dental care. Each event relies heavily on community involvement through utilizing hundreds of volunteers from the area where each event takes place, as well as local financial support through fundraising efforts. Second, The Saving, Maintaining, and Retaining Their Smiles or “SMART” Smiles program provides oral health education and preventative care to underserved, school-aged children, while helping to create a positive dental environment and implement a referral system for necessary dental treatment. SMART Smiles is a community-led project attracting local dental professionals, service organizations, local and state agencies, and other interested volunteers who want to be part of a rewarding program that makes a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of elementary children. Third, is our Education component, which provides modest scholarships to deserving first-year dental students annually, a free continuing education course open to all dental professionals each May, and two programs that support the oral health education of children and families. Fluoride Fest provides free preventative care (Fluoride treatment) to children; The Cavity-Free Corral educates children and adults attending TMOM events about proper oral health while they wait for treatment. Our newest program, SMART Smiles, goes into pre-selected elementary schools to provide oral health education and preventative care to low-income children. TDASF’s programs have touched the lives of over 48,000 Texans, providing over $33 million in charitable dentistry since 2001.
