Kemple Clinic kicks off 15th Brighter Smiles campaign
Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic is kicking off its 15th annual Brighter Smiles Campaign, which runs May 1 through June 30 at participating Central Oregon dental offices.
The Brighter Smiles Campaign is Kemple Clinic’s largest annual fundraiser and it provides people with the opportunity to purchase professional teeth whitening services from participating dentists for just $200 – a 50% savings.
According to Kemple Clinic’s Executive Director, Suzanne Browning, “Supporting Brighter Smiles is very easy. Simply confirm your dentist is participating, schedule your whitening appointment before the end of June, and make your check out to Kemple Clinic so your dentist can pass your contribution on to us.”
Those contributions ensure underserved children in Central Oregon don’t have to live with the painful consequences of unidentified, untreated oral health issues.
Last year, thanks to a significant matching grant from the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund, the Brighter Smiles Campaign raised nearly $53,000, all of which funded Kemple Clinic’s mission to provide care for children and young whose oral health is at risk.
Kemple Clinic celebrated its 20 th anniversary at the end of 2018, and during that year over 6,000 children received cost-free dental screenings and over 1000 children received dental sealants applied in schools and other community partner venues. Additionally, nearly 500 patients received preventative, diagnostic, acute or restorative care free of charge – care that is often difficult for low income families to access.
Browning explains that funds from the Brighter Smiles Campaign are, in large part, what make this work possible. “We are fortunate to have such strong community support for our mission and this campaign’s popularity increases every year. Not only are participants helping us create beautiful, healthy smiles for local children, they get to start off the summer with their own stunning, white smiles!”
The Brighter Smiles Campaign starts May 1 and runs through June 30 t but interested patients are urged to make their appointments early. A current list of participating dental offices can be found at www.kempleclinic.org/events/brighter-smiles-campaign/ Dental offices that would like to participate in this year’s Brighter Smiles Campaign are invited to contact Kemple Clinic directly at info@kempleclinic.org .
About Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic
Kemple Clinic was founded in 1998 by retired dentist and long-time Bend resident, Dr. H.M. Kemple. Dr. Kemple’s goal as founder was to eliminate pediatric oral disease. To this day, Kemple Clinic strives to support that mission by providing free, high quality, on-site dental treatments to at-risk youth (ages 3-25). We offer these uninsured, underinsured and/or underserved individuals no charge, full-service dental hygiene appointments at the Kemple Clinic facility.
For acute dental needs, Kemple works with over 70 volunteer dentists and OHP dental providers to deliver urgent and critical dental treatment services to these at-risk individuals. Kemple Clinic also offers comprehensive Screen & Seal Programs: convenient dental screenings, fluoride and sealant applications, and preventative education at local schools and community locations throughout Central Oregon.
Kemple is the only non-profit in the region that provides these services, because it believes that improving the health and well-being of all children and young adults in the community creates a strong, healthy workforce and a vibrant economy.
