April 6th is Scoops for Smiles, the annual fundraiser held by a remarkable organization, The Hope Center, located in Alvin Texas, whose purpose it is to provide basic dental care to the most vulnerable members of our community. Contributing to this worthy cause means you are choosing to give someone a leg up on their way out of poverty.
“HOPE Clinic is a faith-based non-profit organization founded in order to address the needs of low income, uninsured families and individuals seeking basic dental care. HOPE provides dental health to the underinsured or uninsured community members.”
Oral health is a key indicator of overall health, wellbeing, and quality of life. Lack of access to proper, regular dental care doesn’t just impact a person’s physical health. Inability to go to the Dentist often means being ostracized by one’s peers, reduced earning power and even an inability to gain employment. Here are some facts from the World Health Organization on the impact of poor access to dental care.
- Oral diseases are the most common noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and affect people throughout their lifetime, causing pain, discomfort, disfigurement and even death.
- The Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 estimated that oral diseases affected half of the world’s population (3.58 billion people) with tooth decay being the most prevalent condition assessed.
- Dental treatment is costly, averaging 5% of total health expenditure and 20% of out-of-pocket health expenditure in most high-income countries.
- Oral health inequalities exist among and between different population groups around the world and through the entire life course. Social determinants have a strong impact on oral health.
- We believe that all people deserve the advantages of professional dental care when they need it most. We are dedicated to providing a physical service to our community in order to demonstrate a unique spiritual touch.
- “We are people who feel called to use our God-given gifts and abilities to serve those in need. We want to demonstrate God’s love in a practical way by meeting the needs of our community.”
~Dr. David Boyles Jr
Visit https://www.facebook.com/theHOPEclinic to purchase raffle tickets. The event is Saturday, April 6th at Heights Baptist Church in Alvin. Put a smile on someone’s face. Purchase a raffle ticket online right now and then attend Scoops for Smiles, on Saturday April 6th. You’ll be smiling too!
