Give Back a Smile raises more than $20,000 at AACD 2014, presents awards

The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) Charitable Foundation raised more than $20,000 through fundraising activities, including a Lawn Party with a purpose and a silent auction to benefit survivors of domestic violence through the foundation’s Give Back a Smile program.

New members were also elected to the foundation’s Board of Trustees: Kerri White, DDS; Scott Greenhalgh, DDS; and Nelson Kanning, DDS.

The foundation also presented Whitening Challenge Awards, which recognizes the dental offices who raised the most money through the Whitening Fundraiser. Through the fundraiser, volunteer dental offices perform whitening treatments with whitening kits donated by Heraeus Kulzer at a price of their choice. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the whitening treatments are donated to GBAS, with some patients choosing to donate more.

1st place: The office of Dr. Nelson Kanning — $11,562
2nd place: The office of Drs. Ken and Chris Banks — $8,680
3rd place: The office of Dr. Kerri White — $3,898

The foundation also presented Give Back a Smile Volunteer Service Awards to:
• Daniel J. Armstrong, DMD
• Angela M. Lueck, DDS
• John Derek Tieken, DDS

Give Back a Smile (GBAS) Volunteer Service Award recipients have completed two or more GBAS cases in the last year.

Give Back a Smile was developed to address a need in the communities of AACD members. Volunteer dentists and laboratory technicians agree to restore the broken and damaged teeth in the smile-zone of survivors of intimate partner violence. Generous AACD dentists help erase the memories of abuse by restoring the smiles at no cost to the survivors thereby restoring their lives. To date, AACD members have donated more than $14 million in services to restore smiles to help more than 1,400 individuals.

The AACD, headquartered in Madison, Wis., is the world’s largest nonprofit member organization dedicated to advancing excellence in comprehensive oral care that combines art and science to optimally improve dental health, esthetics, and function. Comprised of more than 6,400 cosmetic dental professionals in 80 countries worldwide, the AACD fulfills its mission by offering superior educational opportunities, promoting and supporting a respected Accreditation credential, serving as a user-friendly and inviting forum for the creative exchange of knowledge and ideas, and providing accurate and useful information to the public and the profession.