Catholic Charities, Las Vegas, Nevada
Dental Impact, a seminar held yearly at RDH Under One Roof (UOR), may look like a run-of-the-mill volunteer opportunity, but it is much more than that. And while the event offers dental hygienists a chance to help underserved populations, bringing care to people who most need it, Dental Impact wants to address one of charity's most challenging questions: How can organizations inspire and empower individuals to create their own sustainable, lasting programs aiding the underserved?
Dental Impact's answer: Empower hygienists to take what they've learned back to their own communities and operatories so that an event that happens once per year, in one city, has lasting impact wherever dental hygienists are working.
"Our goal is not to go in and just do a cleaning: it's for people to see other things that dental hygienists are able to do, how they can make an impact on the community."-Noel Kelsch, RDH, RDHAP, Dental Impact program director
"Not only does this serve bigger populations, but when I get back to the dental chair, I know how to reach out to the underserved and others in the community."-Dental Impact participant
