North Dakota Dental Foundation

North dakota dental foundation sponsored mission of mercy, a two-day free dental clinic staffed by volunteers providing dental care to people in need. It was held on october 11-12, 2024 at the bismarck event center. They provided 843 donated dental visits (fillings, extractions, and interim tooth-replacement appliances) valued at $878,000 to patients in need at no cost to them. Nearly 70% of survey respondents said they did not have any type of insurance with dental coverage. This work was all accomplished through a team of 475 dentists, hygienists, assistants, and non-dental inividuals who volunteered their time. The nd mission of mercy's mission is to give hope through a smile.

The north dakota dental foundaton exists to see a future where all oral health needs are met. They look to solve oral health problems with compassion and concern for human needs to prevent pain and suffering, particularly for patients that face barriers to care.

Bright futures in dentistry is a collaborative initiative between the north dakota dental association and the north dakota state college of science. This program promotes dental assisting as a viable career option for high school students by facilitating connections between local dental practices and students through career fairs, scrubs camps, and speaking engagements. Additionally, the program offers grant reimbursements to clinics and individuals to support chairside-trained dental assistants obtaining danb certification, enabling them to become licensed as qualified or registered practitioners in north dakota. In 2024, fifteen individuals received reimbursement for participating in the danb examination..

Brush it! Kids without cavities initiative: many children lack access to essential dental care, which is crucial for maintaining their oral health and smiles over time. The kids without cavities program aims to address this issue by providing valuable dental health resources. By enhancing access to free dental information, we empower parents and their children, ages birth to eight, to develop positive brushing habits, prevent long-term dental decay, and recognize the importance of dietary choices that can lead to irreversible damage.as part of this initiative, brushing charts and paper crowns were distributed to first graders throughout north dakota. During these visits, students also watched the program's educational video, "brush it! And participated in a sing-along to the catchy tune, "brush it real good."