ADA DHF receives vital fundraising boost during member renewals

ADA Queensland (ADAQ) is offering renewing members, for the third year in a row, the option to contribute to the work of the ADA Dental Health Foundation, which works to improve the dental health of Australians who cannot easily access or afford dental care.

Part of the ADAQ renewals process since 2023, the fundraising measure is now part of the renewal offering by ADA Victoria, with ADA South Australia also planning to provide the option to its members.

Among the vitally important programs of the ADA DHF are:

- Rebuilding Smiles which offers treatment to people who have been affected by domestic and/or family violence.

- Dental Rescue Days - volunteer practices commit to half or full days where they treat in-need patients off the ADA DHF's waiting lists which have been referred by local charities and not-for-profit organisations.

- Adopt a Patient which pairs volunteer dentists with patients who are in need of a course of dental care.

The ADA Dental Health Foundation also funds programs that encourage better oral health outcomes and reduce the inequity of access to education within the community through its range of grants.

Backed by the ADA, the ADA DHF’s work fulfills a key objective of Australia’s peak dental body - "to encourage the improvement of the oral and general health of the public".

By initiating the opportunity for its members to donate at the time of their renewal, ADAQ (and now subsequent Branches) has not only provided a means of sourcing further funding for the Foundation but also raised the profile of its important work in assisting people who might otherwise miss out on necessary dental work or not receive it in a timely manner.