Donated Orthodontic Services (DOS) is a program of the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation (AAOF) that serves as a conduit to orthodontic treatment for children who lack access to care.
Since its inception more than a decade ago, the program has provided orthodontic treatment for over 1,000 children from families with a financial need. Today, our purpose remains the same – create opportunities for children to have access to professional orthodontic intervention through a volunteer network of AAO members.
All approved applicants are 18 years-of-age or younger and from a family with an income under 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. In addition, they have been evaluated and recommended by a dentist and are not currently undergoing or in between phases of orthodontic treatment.
While some orthodontists chose to affiliate with similar outreach programs or take on pro bono cases based on community recommendation, AAO members often decide to become a DOS volunteer because:
- The screening process is handled by an AAOF oversight committee and a fulltime program administrator – allowing the DOS volunteer to focus solely on treatment of the patient.
- Each volunteer case is presented without an expectation of service; meaning volunteers are not required to take on a minimum number of cases per year.
- All DOS volunteers are AAO members. In other words, as a volunteer you are joining a caring network of professionals recognized by the American Association of Orthodontists
To learn more about the DOS program or to become a volunteer, visit www.aaofoundation.net/volunteer or contact the DOS Program Administrator, Jennifer Stocks, at jstocks@aaothro.org or (314)292-6582.
Relevant Links
AAOF – https://www.aaofoundation.net/
Volunteer – https://www.aaofoundation.net/volunteer
DOS Program – https://www3.aaoinfo.org/_/dos/