Alameda Pediatric Dental Team Going to Jamaica to Inspire Smiles and Deliver Good Dental Health

Sept. 12, 2011 - PRLog -- Alameda, Calif., --Dr. Sharine Thenard and eight staff members from Alameda Pediatric Dentistry and Pleasanton Pediatric Dentistry are headed to Jamaica on September 23, 2011 to provide a week of free dental care for Jamaican children.

They are participating in the Great Shapes! Inc., “1,000 Smiles Project,” a humanitarian outreach program serving impoverished Jamaican residents. In areas of rural Jamaica, there is one dentist for every 100,00 people. They will treat children in areas surrounding Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Whitehouse and Negril. Challenges they may face include working in makeshift clinics and sometimes unreliable power supplies.

Headed up by Dr. Thenard, the dental team will be providing treatments such as free fillings, cleanings, extractions, sealants, fluoride treatments and oral hygiene supplies.  

Staff has already shipped to Jamaica many of the instruments and medications they will be using including hundreds of toothbrushes, fluoride treatments, filling material, sealant materials and lidocaine.

“This trip will not only help the children of Jamaica, but will be very impactful for myself and some of my staff,” says Dr. Thenard.  “We live in a land of opportunity, and sometimes we forget how fortunate we truly are. Visiting other places where there is more struggle and poverty is a good reminder to be thankful for not just the things we have, but for our life in California and the U.S.  In addition, my staff and I love children, and we are very excited to be able to help even just a small percentage of the world’s children who need dental care.”

Donations of Stickers and Toys Sought
Dr. Thenard is asking for community support through donations of stickers and small toys that are light and easy to pack. While the staff has included these in their shipments, they are hoping to ensure that there are enough for every child treated. Please bring donations to: Alameda Pediatric Dentistry and Pleasanton Pediatric Dentistry by Wednesday, September 21, 2011. The Alameda location is at: 2125 Whitehall Place, Alameda. The Pleasanton location is at 1443 Cedarwood Lane, Suite D, Pleasanton.

About Great Shape! inc.
Great Shape! Inc., is a non-profit based in Oakland, California that facilitates a humanitarian dental project, a literacy empowerment program, and an eye-care vision project in Jamaica. The Sandals Foundation and Jamaican Ministries of Health and education are the organization’s lead partners. More information is available at: http://www.gsjamaica.org

About Alameda Pediatric Dentistry and Pleasanton Pediatric Dentistry
Alameda Pediatric Dentistry (Alameda, CA) and Pleasanton Pediatric Dentistry (Pleasanton, CA), in the San Francisco Bay Area specializes in oral health for infants, adolescents and special needs children.

Pediatric dentists on staff undergo several years of additional training beyond the four years of dental school so that they are uniquely qualified to treat children, including those with special needs. They are on the faculty at UC San Francisco and University of the Pacific dental schools as well as have hospital privileges at Children’s Hospital, Oakland.
For more information: http://www.alamedapediatricdentistry.com or 510-521-KIDS (Alameda) or 925-846-KIDS (Pleasanton).

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Pediatric dentist with locations in Alameda & Pleasanton, CA for infants, children, teens and special needs children. Dr. David Perry, founded practice 30 years ago, named best pediatric dentist in the San Francisco East Bay in 2011 by Parents' Press.