The MDS Foundation, the charitable arm of the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS), recently awarded almost $60,000 in grants to four organizations serving the oral health needs of Massachusetts residents. The Foundation’s mission is to improve oral health across the Commonwealth through the distribution of charitable resources.
The MDS Foundation offers two types of grants, Access to Care and Targeted Grants. The annual Access to Care Grants support programs providing increased access to oral health care and education to underserved communities. Targeted Grants, distributed on an ongoing basis, finance a specific need for an organization or program that serves vulnerable populations. The following 2023 grant recipients bring innovative programs and initiatives to those in need.
- Action for Children and Teens in Oral Health Need (ACTION): $15,000 to help fund a low-cost clinic providing preventative, diagnostic, and restorative oral health care to children and teens in Greater Boston and Cambridge
- Dental Life Network—Massachusetts Donated Dental Services Program (DDS): $12,500 to meet the oral health needs of 40 individuals with disabilities, fragile medical conditions, and the elderly
- Holyoke Health Center: $12,350 to expand the Center’s oral health program to close the gap in needs for children 0-18 in the Holyoke area
- Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires (VIM): $25,000 to continue building a pipeline of hygiene and dental students who donate dental care to uninsured or underinsured patients in the Berkshires
“The MDS Access to Care Grant is providing a huge source of support for the Action for Children and Teens in Oral Health Need (ACTION) program. With this generous funding, we are able to continue and expand our student-run provision of care for a vulnerable pediatric patient population,” shared Betty Ben Dor, a volunteer for the ACTION program. The Foundation is eager to see the positive outcomes these grants will create.
About the Massachusetts Dental Society
The Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS), a 5,000+ professional association and statewide constituent of the American Dental Association, is dedicated to the professional development of its member dentists through initiatives in education, advocacy, the promotion of the highest professional standards, and championing oral health in the Commonwealth.
For more information, visit massdental.org, and follow the MDS on Twitter @MassDental.
