The non-profit organization continued to advance its mission to improve overall health through service actions locally, nationally, and internationally. 

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pacific Dental Services^® (PDS) Foundation recognizes the 2023 milestones that helped advance the organization's three main initiatives: special needs dentistry access and training, dental assistant scholarships, and international service trips. Through these programs, the PDS Foundation raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and expanded access to quality oral health care.

"Reflecting on the past year, PDS Foundation marked several significant moments as we focused on improving access to quality oral health care," said Michael Le, Executive Director of the PDS Foundation. "Thanks to the support of volunteers, advocates, and newfound partnerships, we've been able to provide mentorship and hands-on training to empower the next generation of oral health care leaders and donate more dental care to people who otherwise struggle to access it."

Thanks to the support of donors, partners, and advocates, PDS Foundation achieved several milestones in 2023, including:

Dental Assistant Scholarships

• Awarded more than $323,000 to 73 dental assisting students thanks to the Dr. Carolyn Ghazal Dental Assistant Scholarship program, which provides support for tuition expenses.

• Since 2016, this program has provided more than $1.5 million in scholarships to support more than 260 dental assisting students, helping to strengthen the pipeline of dental assistants and ensure greater access to quality oral health care.

International Service

• Conducted four week-long trips to Xenacoj, Guatemala to offer free dental care at the PDS Foundation Clínica Dental.

• The clinic's Guatemala-based team provided continuing care to over 1,090 patients.

• Provided ongoing training to clinic staff members to help create a sustainable model of care in the region.

Special Needs Dentistry

• PDS Foundation Dentists for Special Needs office in Phoenix, Ariz. had more than 5,000 patient visits, including nearly 500 new patients and over 1,700 existing patients.

• Partnered with Smile Generation to raise more than $650,000 in support of the Special Needs Dentistry program, which helps increase access to dental care for patients with special needs and provides specialized training for clinicians.

  • The 60-day "Smile for Special Needs" in-office campaign raised more than $396,000.

  • The week-long "Stroll for Special Needs 5K" event brought supporters together in different communities across the country to stroll, run, walk, or roll to raise funds. More than 1,400 people participated in 37 states and "strolled" a combined total of 4,547 miles to raise more than $254,000.