NEW YORK DONATED DENTAL SERVICES (DDS) PROGRAM

Semi-Annual Report

Activities for July 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021

HIGHLIGHTS

• 168 patients served and $292,522 in treatment donated thus far

• 10 new volunteer dentists recruited

• $5.75 worth of care donated for every $1 spent supporting volunteers

THE DDS PROGRAM IN ACTION

“Frank,” 68, is an Air Force veteran who lives in Manhattan. He suffers from osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, pre-diabetes, and had a small aneurysm a few years ago. In addition, many of Frank’s teeth were missing or decayed. His mouth was swollen, making eating difficult and causing constant pain.

Unfortunately, Frank was unable to afford treatment to address his deteriorating dental health. He lost his job as a dispatcher due to the pandemic and has been unable to work since. He survives on a small Social Security benefit and unemployment and struggles to make ends meet. Though Frank is a veteran, his dental problems were not service-related so the VA did not provide treatment. Sadly, it seemed he had nowhere to turn for help.

Thankfully, a team of DDS volunteers came to Frank’s aid. An oral surgeon extracted eight teeth and an endodontist donated three root canals. A prosthodontist, with help from a volunteer lab, is in the process of donating 11 crowns and upper and lower partial dentures. Thanks to this generous team, Frank has received more than $16,000 in donated care thus far. Frank commented on the life-changing impact of this amazing gift.

“Words cannot capture the gratitude I have. I had given up hope on ever being able to eat anything in public without embarrassment. I had learned not to smile without covering my mouth, and it affected my confidence and employability. There was no way I could afford any dental work as I was having difficulty just managing my daily needs. I have been treated with great respect by the dentists and their staff. In just a few months the work will be done and I am extremely thankful to DDS for restoring function and a smile to my life.”

PROGRAM HISTORY

• Pilot program started in 1997

• Expanded to Greater New York City in 2003 and statewide in 2009

• 1,904 total patients served

• $12,041,507 in total care donated by volunteers

• Statewide Volunteer Network: 457 dentists (228 of whom practice in the New York City area) and 116 labs

The DDS program helps individuals with disabilities or who are elderly or medically fragile and cannot afford or otherwise access treatment for severe dental conditions. As a result of their ages or disabilities, they cannot work and depend on government assistance for health care. Medicare does not provide dental benefits, although a few recipients belong to Advantage plans that include minimum benefits for basic services. And, while New York’s Medicaid program provides dental benefits for adult recipients, patients often cannot locate dentists who accept Medicaid. And, some individuals with disabilities or who are aged or medically fragile and can work earn just over the income threshold to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford the extensive dental care they need or dental insurance. As a result, many suffer in agonizing pain from severe dental problems and have nowhere to turn for help.

New York’s DDS program is part of a national network that serves individuals in every state as well as D.C. Collectively, these programs helped over 7,900 individuals access more than $22.1 million in services during the 2020-2021 fiscal year that ended June 30th.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Goal: To help 302 people with disabilities or who are aged or medically fragile access comprehensive treatment to remedy their dental problems. This care is estimated to cost $900,000, including $54,000 in laboratory fabrications, during the fiscal year.

Six-Month Results: During the first half of the fiscal year, we served 168 patients statewide and generated $292,522 in donated treatment (including $17,555 in laboratory fabrications):

• 45 patients completed their treatment plans and received $214,417 in donated care.

• 17 patients have not yet finished treatment yet have received $78,105 in services thus far (including one patient who received $1,735 in routine care from a volunteer dentist who donated the patient’s initial treatment and wanted to continue contributing ongoing, maintenance services).

• 106 patients have been referred to volunteer dentists but haven’t yet finished any treatment services.

APPLICATIONS

With 278 applicants currently on the wait list, we are only accepting new applications in some counties from individuals who need dental care to qualify for life-saving medical treatment (i.e., medically fragile) and veterans with special needs. During the first half of the fiscal year, 87 such people applied for help. The wait list includes people who applied this fiscal year as well as some who applied previously.

When the wait list gets too long, staff must spend a significant amount of time processing new applications and responding to people requesting applications; time that instead could be spent referring people to dentists and coordinating services. We continually monitor the wait list and assess whether and where we can accept applications. Doing so helps the staff process applications more efficiently so they have sufficient time to refer people to the volunteers.

Currently, we are only accepting applications in the following areas, with the exception of the applicants mentioned above: Delaware, Dutchess, Fulton, Genesee, Livingston, Niagara, Oneida, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Steuben, Ulster, Warren, Wayne, Westchester, and Wyoming.

VOLUNTEERS

We are truly grateful to the 457 dentists and 116 dental laboratories that volunteer statewide.

Of the 457 volunteer dentists, 267 are general dentists who treat the patients and identify the need for specialist and laboratory support, and the remaining 190 are specialists. Most volunteer dentists treat just one patient at a time and due to the comprehensive nature of the treatment provided, typically care for only one patient annually.

Ten (10) new dentists signed up to volunteer for the DDS program during the first half of the fiscal year. Unfortunately, at the same time 15 existing volunteer dentists retired (a trend witnessed nationwide as a result of the pandemic and corroborated by the American Dental Association). And another 31 dentists chose to stop participating, primarily sharing that they have left or sold their practices or that they simply cannot donate services at this time. We have lost another 20 volunteer dentists in the first few months of 2022.

Consequently, volunteer recruitment is an ongoing priority. A 12-member Leadership Council advises the program and has been focused on a variety of efforts to encourage more dentists to volunteer. The “Will You See One Vet?” recruitment campaign is ongoing during patriotic holidays as is a nationwide volunteer recruitment initiative that includes print materials and a public service announcement featuring DLN National Board member and nationally-recognized prosthodontist and dental educator, Dr. Gordon Christensen. Also, we continued to work with Avesis, a Guardian Life Insurance company, to recruit new volunteers that are part of its provider network in Illinois and throughout the country.

In addition, many dental laboratories also help. Along with the 116 labs physically located in New York, five additional out-of-state labs also donated services for New York DDS patients during the first half of the fiscal year. We truly appreciate the generous efforts of all of our volunteers.

STAFFING

The Case Managers/Coordinators determine applicant eligibility, link patients with nearby volunteer dentists, monitor patient progress, and arrange laboratory services and the help of specialists as necessary. Most importantly, they resolve any problems that may interfere with care and ensure all parties have a positive experience.

In the past, we had enough funds for 46 hours per week of Case Manager/Coordinator time. Funding challenges in recent years forced us to reduce staff hours and Ms. Madeline Lebron had been solely coordinating services for just 24 hours per week. Fortunately, generous grant funding enabled us to increase hours back to 46 per week this fiscal year.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

During the first half of the fiscal year, volunteers donated $5.75 in care for every dollar spent supporting contributed services! While the volunteer dentists and many of the dental laboratories donate their services, we must raise funds to cover the expenses of supporting their efforts, such as the cost of the DDS Case Managers/Coordinators. Other expenses include lab reimbursements when we cannot find labs to donate, office supplies, etc.

We are truly grateful for the support of the following organizations:

The H. van Ameringen Foundation

Avesis, a Guardian Life Insurance Company

Mother Cabrini Health Foundation

In September, we began a partnership with the Mayor of New York City’s Fund through the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services. The partnership, referred to as the “Stars and Smiles Program,” is enabling the DDS program to help veterans with specials needs living in the five boroughs of New York City. z