CDA Essentials 2018 • Volume 5 • Issue 2

I ssues and P eople When we think of helping those in need of dental care, our thoughts tend to drift towards remote parts of the world where people may have minimal access to basic amenities, let alone dental care. Although many dentists volunteer their time and expertise on dental missions providing free dental care internationally, there is also a need to provide such services in Canada. To that end, a Canadian initiative has been launched to help dentists organize an annual Free Dentistry Day to service their local communities. FREE DENTISTRY DAY A Guide for Giving Back to Your Community To participate, a dental office chooses one day a year to provide free dental care for those who can't otherwise access such care. Once the dental team selects the day (typically on a weekend) they can choose to provide one free basic dental care service to each patient—either an extraction, a filling or a cleaning. At our office, me and my business partner Dr. Habib Khoury started offering an annual free dentistry day three years ago and we have discovered the benefits to both our community and our team. • It makes your local community a better place to live Being able to help those in your local area who can’t otherwise afford dental care is rewarding. The patients that come to the event are always appreciative of the free service. Many patients have been in pain for some time and would have continued that way if not for such pro bono events. For some patients, simply getting their teeth cleaned or having a broken tooth repaired can vastly improve their self image and confidence, giving them a more positive outlook on life. • It improves teammorale Your dental team will get an energy boost and a feeling of satisfaction when they actively give back to their community. I’ve seen the team dynamic and positive feelings at our office last for weeks after our free day and it leaves everyone feeling grateful. This high team morale translates into happier and more productive team members. It can also instil team members with a sense of loyalty to the dental office, as they see the difference the team can make in the community. • It shows your community that you care Whether we like it or not, dentistry doesn’t always generate warm, positive feelings among the public. Holding a free dentistry day reinforces the view that your office is a positive 35 Issue 2 | 2018 | Yamen Ghamian, DMD ghamian@ centrumdental.ca Dr. Ghamian is a private practice dentist in Kanata, Ontario.