Bertha, 72, lives alone in Glynn County. She suffers from crippling rheumatoid arthritis, and her hands are most affected. Although she loves taking walks with her dog, her health has made it much more difficult. Because of the pain in her hands, Bertha’s appetite had decreased and she was losing weight.
In addition, her dental health was in poor condition as she was missing many of her teeth and those that remained were loose and decayed. Her physician recommended immediate dental treatment to assist with her overall health issues.
Bertha is retired and survives on a Social Security Disability benefit and food stamps. She desperately needed help, but was unable to afford the treatment she needed. It seemed she had nowhere to turn for help.
How DDS Helped
Fortunately, Bertha was referred to the Donated Dental Services (DDS) program and she was linked with three generous volunteers.
• Dr. G. Michael Wommack.
• Oral Surgeon Dr. Jennifer Hall.
• Harmony Dental Laboratory.
“Wow! What a difference a smile can make in someone’s life! More importantly, your kindness and generosity is the reason for our mother’s new smile and we are ecstatic about the new and longer life she can now live. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
—Jessica & Jennifer, daughters of DDS Patient Bertha
“One of the best aspects of working with DDS is that I feel like we can make a difference in people’s lives and do it in a much more efficient way. This program allows me to treat the patient from treatment planning to completion. DDS patients are just part of the natural flow of a normal day.”
—Dr. G. Michael Wommack, DDS Volunteer and DLN • GA Leadership Council Member
Georgia Donated Dental Services (DDS) is a program of Dental Lifeline Network, a national humanitarian organization and a strategic partner of the ADA, providing access to comprehensive dental care for people with disabilities or who are elderly or medically fragile and have no other way to get help. Nationally, 15,000 dentists and 3,500 laboratories volunteer for DDS.
Learn more about volunteering or to learn about DDS in your state, visit our state pages.
