Media contact:
Mollie Pillman
Executive Director
512-342-8594
[email protected]
Donated Orthodontic Services Help Texas Kids in Need
Austin, Texas- (October 1, 2023) October is National Orthodontic Health Month and the Texas Association of Orthodontists (TAO) is celebrating by recruiting volunteers for the Donated Orthodontic Services (DOS) program.
DOS, a 501(c)(3) charitable entity, is a program of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). It pairs volunteer orthodontists with young patients who have demonstrated financial need.
Through the program, children receive help during a critical time in their development when bullying and self-esteem issues are prevalent.
In the last two years in Texas, DOS volunteers provided a complete course of free orthodontic treatment for 24 children in need. Since its inception, the DOS has provided orthodontic treatment for over 1,000 children across the U.S.
Dr. Bryn Cooper, founder of Cooper Orthodontics in Houston, TX, has been a DOS volunteer since 2018. “Being a volunteer is absolutely worth it!” says Dr. Cooper. “Working together with your community, the AAO, and your team to provide healthy, bright smiles to people that otherwise wouldn’t receive care is rewarding.”
DOS currently has 25 volunteer orthodontists in the state of Texas. Volunteers for the program are not compensated for their time or reimbursed for the cost of braces, diagnostic tests, or laboratory services.
Last year, DOS received 275 applications from parents seeking treatment for their children.
“We are always actively seeking out new DOS volunteers,” says Dr. Andrea Font, president of TAO. “We want to encourage all our members to consider participating. It’s a wonderful experience to give back, and having more volunteers means we can help more families who need orthodontic care.”
TAO will be kicking off Orthodontic Health Month by encouraging its members to volunteer for the program by visiting the American Association of Orthodontists AAO page and filling out the intake form, and by highlighting the impact of this program on TAO volunteers and their patients through TAO’s website and social media platforms.
We encourage media to share or reprint information from our website or social media accounts:
Website: Texas Association of Orthodontists
Facebook page: @TexasAssociationofOrthodontists
Instagram: @texas.orthodontist
Videos: https://texasortho.org/videos/
A member of TAO can also be made available for quotes or interviews.
About TAO
The Texas Association of Orthodontists is a professional organization of specialists committed to maintaining the highest standards of orthodontic care for the benefit and well-being of our patients throughout the state of Texas. As an organization, we are dedicated to advocating for our members and providing services that benefit their pursuit of professional excellence.