Jeffrey Dalin, DDS, has been given the American Dental Association's 2022 Humanitarian Award.
The award is presented to dentist members who have spent a minimum of 10 years improving the oral health of underserved populations in the U.S. As part of the award, the ADA also donates $10,000 to a dental charity or project of the recipient's choice
Dr. Dalin, of St. Louis, is the co-founder of the national Give Kids A Smile program. It was launched in 2003 to provide underserved children with free oral healthcare services.
About 6,500 dentists and 30,000 dental team members volunteer at Give Kids A Smile events nationwide each year, providing treatment to about 300,000 children, the ADA said in a Jan. 7 news release.
"I wish that we would no longer have a need for a Give Kids A Smile program," Dr. Dalin said. "That would mean that all children have good access to great dental care. So as long as kids without access to care need dental treatment to fix problems that are causing them to suffer, Give Kids A Smile will be there to help."