Embracing Futures

The orthodontic care program is our core program. This unique program is a reactive process that provides orthodontic care for children growing up in impoverished households who are suffering from severe orthodontic problems and have been turned down by medicaid or other government funded programs. Working with community partners, we first identify a child, meet with the family to verify the financial need, provide two orthodontic exams to validate the medical need, and bring our findings to our board of trustees for a final decision. With board approval, we finance the costs directly with an orthodontist until treatment is successfully completed. The process concludes through an exit interview with the family. In the past ten years we have helped over 400 children. We recognize a child who is self-conscious about his or her teeth may shy away from participating in class or other social activities. Children who receive orthodontic treatment will certainly be healthier individuals. They may also experience improved self esteem and confidence. This will contribute to their becoming more productive individuals as they move from school into their adult life. Donna skoda, summit county public health commissioner, stated the following: it's clear that poor oral health, untreated oral diseases and severe orthodontic problems have a considerable impact on quality of life, including loss of self-esteem, poor performance at school and decreased economic productivity. Yet access to dental services, including orthodontic care, remains the greatest unmet healthcare need in summit county. Maintaining the health of your teeth and mouth is not merely a cosmetic activity, but rather a critical part in a complete healthcare plan and a smart investment in physical and emotional health...especially for children. In 2023, 45 children were approved for treatment and 94 total children received treatment.

The dr. milton rubin oral health education program is our secondary program. It was established in 2000 and named in dr. rubin's honor to commemorate his sincere dedication to providing good dental care to children. The original program, created by dr. rubin himself, was intended to enhance existing health classes in the akron public school system. His goal was to help students develop favorable attitudes toward personal oral health habits through awareness, education and demonstration. Following much success, the program has grown and today including school districts (public, private, parochial) in summit , portage, stark and medina counties. The program is free to schools and is a great way to help young people develop healthy habits that will affect them for a lifetime. In 2023, we presented to 196 classes, which resulted in 4,287 students being taught through the program.