2019 Annual Report to Seattle Study Club
The Dental Lifeline Network/Seattle Study Club Partnership
In 2018, Dental Lifeline Network became Seattle Study Club’s Charitable Partner and since then, 48 SSC members across 20 states have signed up to participate in the Donated Dental Services program. This brings the total number of Seattle Study Club member volunteers to 408.
The Donated Dental Services (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. Yet Medicare does not provide dental coverage and most state Medicaid programs offer little to no dental benefits for adults. Those states with Medicaid coverage for adult dental services do not cover many procedures such as implants. Further, 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 treatment they need. As a result, many people with disabilities or who are aged or medically fragile suffer from seriously neglected dental diseases and have nowhere to turn for help.
The DDS program serves individuals in every state as well as D.C. Since the program’s inception, 155,891 total patients have received more than $457 million in total care from a volunteer network of 15,942 dentists and nearly 3,500 labs. Nationwide, we expect to help 11,221 individuals access $26.5 million in services during the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
Seattle Study Club’s Help in Action
One patient who has been helped by the generosity of the Seattle Study Club network is “Jason,” 63, who lives with his family in Chicago. Years ago, he went into liver failure and underwent a transplant. Then, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, he had serious unmet dental needs: many teeth had become decayed and his partial lower denture was broken and cut his tongue. Eating became difficult and Jason was in pain.
Unfortunately, Jason could not afford the dental treatment he needed. Unable to work due to his health problems, Jason and his family depend on his Social Security Disability Insurance and his wife’s income. Dental treatment seemed like a luxury beyond his reach.
Thankfully, a generous team of DDS volunteers—including two Seattle Study Club members—came to his aid. An SSC periodontist extracted eight teeth and an SSC endodontist provided root canal treatment. A volunteer prosthodontist, with help from a volunteer dental laboratory, is in the process of donating new upper and lower partial dentures. Thanks to this amazing team Jason has already received more than $10,700 in donated treatment that is restoring his dental health!
Accomplishments
During 2019, volunteer dentists who are part of the Seattle Study Club helped 28 patients in 13 states:
These 28 patients have received $96,475 in donated treatment thus far (20 are still receiving additional treatment services). The patients served have the following health conditions:
Thanks, Seattle Study Club members for helping out!
