FOUNDATION STORIES

Child Oral Health Initiative

For those who might not be aware, the Snohomish County Dental Society has a sister organization, the Snohomish County Dental Foundation (SCDF). Our foundation was created in 1994 and has given nearly $300,000 in support of dental needs in our county. Most recently, SCDF partnered with the local public health to fund early childhood dental awareness materials for marginalized communities in our area. The Snohomish County Health Department (formerly Health District) designed and produced community materials with basic oral health information for children ages 0-2. The zine (a tiny, full-color brochure similar to a magazine) is available in six languages. The publication was debuted this February at Toothapalooza. It’s printed in English, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese, and is being distributed all over the county in the past month. At the request of Community Health Centers of Snohomish County’s Chief Dental Officer, the Zine is now being distributed to all 6 dental clinics across the county. Zines will also be shared with various social service agencies serving young children and their families, such as WIC clinics and Early Head Start & ECEAP centers, and agencies that support refugees. This is a fantastic way to educate the community on child oral health. We know that reaching children when they are young makes a dramatic difference in their lifelong oral well-being. Our Foundation is thrilled to be a part of this timely and innovative project. Snohomish County has seen a wave of international immigrants in the recent past. We are proud to be a supportive neighbor in welcoming them with information in their native languages.  If you are interested in volunteering on our Foundation Board or learning more, please contact the SCDS office. The Foundation is reliant on donations, as well as our annual Gala, to support Foundation grants.

Seattle-King County Clinic 2023

For those who might not be aware, the Snohomish County Dental Society has a sister organization, the Snohomish County Dental Foundation (SCDF). Our foundation was created in 1994 and has given  nearly $300,000 in support of dental needs in our county.  Recently, the Foundation was pleased to provide a grant to support the Seattle/King County Clinic (SKCC) for 2023 . Since 2014, the clinic has served people from all around western Washington. It’s estimated that 14% of the attendees are from Snohomish County. In the wake of the pandemic, the SKCC found they were exceptionally low on essential dental supplies. In order to operate the 4-day clinic in April 2023, they needed to restock. Our Foundation contributed funding that helped the clinic purchase necessary dental provisions. Snohomish County Dental Society member, Dr. Brittany Dean will serve as one of the Dental Directors of SKCC. Dr. Dean has been an SCDS member for nearly 10 years and works as a pediatric dentist in private practice and community health when she is not coordinating the dental side of this huge event. SCDS member Dr. Ivy Lin will also be serving as Deputy Director. Additionally, Dr. Lin is a member of the SCDS Executive Committee. The clinic will be in operation April 27-30 providing dental services as well as medical and vision. This is truly a coming -together of the medical communities in Washington and we are happy to be a part of such a great project.  If you are interested in supporting the annual clinic as a volunteer, go to the website athttps://seattlecenter.org/volunteers/