Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Systematic barriers to care faced by low-income, elderly, and IDD populations lead to a situation where oral health needs remain unaddressed until individuals are in extreme situations -acute pain, tooth loss, advanced oral cancer, etc. (Soderlund, 2013). Few options exist for low-income, uninsured Oklahomans. These options include paying out of pocket for their dental visits. D-DENT often serves as the last safety net to government agencies, local communities, and desperate individuals seeking comprehensive dental care. D-DENT works to improve the quality of life for eligible low-income uninsured Oklahomans by providing FREE COMPREHENSIVE dental care in private dental clinics. D-DENT allows these these patients to receive care through multiple visits and procedures until FULL MOUTH restoration is achieved. Our volunteers provide care for those who truly have nowhere else to turn.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Comprehensive Restorative Dental Care
The Restorative Dental Care program matches volunteer dentists throughout the state with eligible clients. The dentists restore the oral health of each client in the comfort of their private clinics, free of charge. To apply for this program you must submit an application, providing proof of income and eligibility. If eligible, applicants will be placed on a waiting list to be seen by a volunteer dentist. To qualify to receive free comprehensive dental care through D-DENT, you must be: Low-Income, uninsured and Elderly (60 and older)OR Low-Income, uninsured and Developmentally Disabled (Developmental disability is a term used to describe lifelong disabilities attributable to mental or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 22, such as Mental Retardation, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Spinal Bifida.)OR Low-Income, uninsured, honorably discharged Veteran (with no dental care offered through the V.A.)Applications to receive free comprehensive dental care are available by calling our office at 405-424-8092.
Oral Health Care Education
The goals of the Oral Health Care Education Program are to affect knowledge and behaviors in order to increase understanding of importance of oral health as it relates to overall health by providing education to increase awareness of oral cancer; to provide information regarding controllable risk factors of oral cancer; to reduce barriers to care by providing on-site oral cancer screenings to low-income, uninsured populations. Through this program, a Registered Dental Hygienist provides free oral health care education in central Oklahoma to participants and caretakers in many settings such as group homes, senior nutrition centers, living centers, adult daycares, senior centers. Among the topics are:Impact of poor oral health.Impact of nutrition on oral health.Impact of medication on oral health.One-on-one brushing techniques.Oral Cancer Awareness education.Oral Cancer screenings free of charge to all participants. To inquire how to receive free oral health care education please call our office at 405-424-8092.
Where we work
Accreditations
Non-Profit management Certification 2015
Awards
Champions of Health: Champions of the Uninsured 2011
Blue Cross Blue Shield Champions of Health
Special Award 2011
Mayor’s Committee on Disability Concerns
ONE Award 2012
The Oklahoma Nonprofit Excellence Award
Finalist 2014
Journal Record Programs Making a Difference
Champions of Community Health 2015
Blue Cross Blue Shield Champions of Health
Finalist 2015
Journal Record Programs that Make a Difference
Finalist 2016
Journal Record Programs that Make a Difference
Festival of Hope Award for Health 2016
Helpline 211
Challenge Coin Award 2018
Delta Dental of Oklahoma Oral Health Foundation
Rodney L. Huey Memorial Award. This award is a top honor for the Restorative Dental Care Program 2019
Blue Cross Blue Shield Champions of Health
Affiliations & memberships
United Way of Central Oklahoma member agency 1988
Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, Standards of Excellence Program Graduate 2009
Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, Standards of Excellence Program Graduate 2014
External reviews

Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of new patients who began the process of full mouth restoration.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors, People with intellectual disabilities, People with other disabilities, Economically disadvantaged people, Veterans
Related Program
Comprehensive Restorative Dental Care
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2019 Pandemic shut down dental clinics for a period of three months. Volunteers provided episodic acute care for those in need. 2020 COVID-19 restrictions. 2021 Continuation of care with restrictions
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors, People with intellectual disabilities, People with other disabilities, Low-income people, Veterans
Related Program
Comprehensive Restorative Dental Care
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Includes number of Dentists, Specialists (Endodontists, Oral Surgeons, Prosthodontists), Registered Dental Hygienists, Dental Assistants, and general volunteers.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
D-DENT Strategic Plan 2019-2022
On October 26, 2018 D-DENT staff and board members met with a strategic planning consultant to review and revise D-DENT’s strategic plan. The growth of the organization’s financial resources and the increasing need for services in a volatile economy were key aspects of the discussion. While the need to maintain the institution’s sound financial footing is essential, it is also essential that donor resources be used to effectively to serve Oklahoma’s most vulnerable clients. Another item of discussion was the growing need for, and desire to provide, services for veterans.
While many organizations are currently in survival mode, D-DENT’s staff and board have made a series of sound financial and programmatic decisions which have allowed them to focus their attention on strategic issues. All present agreed that D-DENT’s future is sound and the organization is positioned for growth. Of course, time and attention must always be paid to operational issues. However, by focusing on a few strategic issues over the next 3-5 years, D-DENT will continue to build an infrastructure that will, if maintained, sustain the organization for decades.
At the end of the strategic planning session, the following goals were approved. The staff were then charged with developing objectives and action plans to make progress towards those goals.
• Goal #1: D-DENT will strengthen its volunteer base of dentists, hygienists and other volunteers to assist in both program delivery and operational functions.
• Goal #2: D-DENT will increase public awareness of its mission and programs.
• Goal #3: D-DENT will strengthen its staff capacity.
• Goal #4: D-DENT will develop a diverse and engaged board.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
1. Volunteer Recruitment: D-DENT’s heavy reliance on volunteer dentists and hygienists to provide services is integral to its success. With many of D-DENT’s dentists approaching 25 years of service, the recruitment of young dentists is considered integral to the organization’s growth.
2. Increased Awareness through social media. While well-known and highly respected within its own circles, D-DENT is an unsung hero among the general public. Given the cost effectiveness of technology and the ease of using social media, it is becoming easier to tell D-DENT’s story to a wider audience. This is an essential tool in recruiting donors and volunteers.
3. Increased Staff Capacity: Expand both the functions of staff members as well as the possibility of increasing the number of staff.
4. Diverse and Engaged Board: A diverse and engaged board is essential to the strength of any nonprofit organization. As D-DENT continues to grow and board members retire, the board will undergo a recruitment process that will identify prospective board members which will continue to bring passion and diversity to the board.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
● An elderly person who is low-income and uninsured. To be considered elderly, you must be 60 years of age or older. ● A developmentally disabled person who is over the age of 21, low-income and uninsured. Developmental disability is a term used to describe lifelong disabilities manifested before age 22, such as epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, etc. ● An honorably discharged veteran who is low-income, uninsured and ineligible for dental care through the V.A. Hospital. ● A disabled person currently being treated for cancer or awaiting a transplant who is low-income and uninsured.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Paper surveys, Case management notes,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board, Our funders,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
Feedback has highlighted areas of service needing improvements such as mailing notification to applicants on the waiting list to let them know they are still active in our system.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We act on the feedback we receive,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Dentists for the Disabled and Elderly in Need of Treatment
Board of directorsas of 08/23/2021
Colonel Ken Young
USAF (Ret.)
Term: 2019 - 2028
J. Harris
DDS EMERITUS
Phoebe Vaughan
DDS
Tammie Vargo
R.D.H., B.S.D.H., M.Ed. Gerontology
Lynn Carroll
Business Manager
Donna Copeland
Senior Citizen
Ken Young
Col. USAF (Retired)
Darrell Guttery
DDS
Hal Kessler, III
DDS
Kate Kidd
Realtor
Angela Whipple
Senior Dental Student
Greg Stewart
DDS
Sebastian Tietze
DDS
Chris Saxon
DDS
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data