Published: June, 2022 | Updated: Nov, 2026
Quick Answer: The best dental charities for a practice to partner with are national programs that make it easy for the whole team to volunteer: the ADA’s Give Kids A Smile for children’s care, Dental Lifeline Network’s Donated Dental Services for people with disabilities and the elderly, America’s Dentists Care Foundation’s Missions of Mercy free clinics, and the Smiles for Life whitening fundraiser for children’s charities. Pick one cause that fits your patients, commit to it every year, and share photos and results on social media so your community sees your practice giving back.
This guide is written for dental practices. It covers 15 dental nonprofit organizations, with what each one does and exactly how your practice can get involved.
Looking for help paying for your own dental care? Dental Lifeline Network and local Mission of Mercy clinics offer free care to people who qualify.
Which dental charities can your practice partner with?
Here are all 15 dental charities at a glance.
| # | Charity | Who it helps | How your practice gets involved | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Give Kids A Smile (ADA Foundation) | Underserved children | Host or volunteer at a February event | Pediatric and family practices |
| 2 | Smiles for Life Foundation | Children’s charities, local and global | Donate whitening fees, March through June | Cosmetic practices, teams wanting a fundraiser |
| 3 | Give Back a Smile (AACD Charitable Foundation) | Survivors of domestic and sexual violence | Restore one survivor’s smile, or donate | Cosmetic and restorative practices |
| 4 | Henry Schein Cares Foundation | Underserved communities, through nonprofits | Volunteer at events it supplies | Practices already volunteering at free clinics |
| 5 | Oral Cancer Foundation | The public, through early detection | Host a free April screening event | Any practice; a one-day event |
| 6 | TeamSmile | Children, at sports-venue dental events | Volunteer at a stadium event | Teams wanting a fun one-day event |
| 7 | America’s ToothFairy | Children served by nonprofit clinics | Run a product drive or donate | Pediatric practices, small teams |
| 8 | Missions of Mercy (America’s Dentists Care Foundation) | Uninsured and underserved adults | Volunteer at a two-day state clinic | Whole-team volunteering |
| 9 | Patterson Foundation | Oral health nonprofits | Point your nonprofit partner to its grants | Practices partnered with a free clinic |
| 10 | The Diversity Foundation (Ultradent) | Young people who left the FLDS community | Donate or volunteer | Practices that want to fund education |
| 11 | Soldiers’ Angels (Treats for Troops) | Deployed troops and veterans | Collect Halloween candy | Pediatric and family practices |
| 12 | Dental Lifeline Network | People with disabilities, elderly, medically fragile | Treat one patient a year in-office | General dentists and specialists |
| 13 | Smiles for Everyone Foundation | People without access to care, worldwide | Donate, or join a Day of Giving | Group practices and DSOs |
| 14 | National Breast Cancer Foundation | People affected by breast cancer | Run an October fundraiser | Any practice; October campaigns |
| 15 | Oral Health Foundation (UK) | The public, through oral health education | Join awareness campaigns on social media | Any practice; UK practices especially |
How do dental charities help your practice’s marketing?
Partnering with a dental charity builds local awareness and goodwill, gives your team content they actually want to share, and shows patients you care about more than the bottom line. But the giving has to be real first and the marketing second. Patients can tell the difference.
Here’s what a charity partnership does for your practice:
- Local awareness and goodwill. Your name gets attached to something good in your community.
- Social media content your team wants to post. Event photos and results get far more engagement than promotional posts.
- Local press and links. Newspapers, TV stations and community sites often cover free clinics and fundraisers, and many link to participating practices.
- Team culture. Volunteering together builds the kind of team pride that’s hard to create any other way.
- Patients choosing you. When two practices look the same online, patients often pick the one that gives back.
Giving back works best as one part of your wider dental marketing strategies, not a one-off stunt. To see how consistent, authentic marketing pays off for real practices, browse our dental marketing case studies.
How do you choose the right dental charity for your practice?
Choose a charity that matches your patients, that your whole team is excited about, and that you can support every year. Consistency matters more than the size of any single donation.
Ask these five questions before you commit:
- Does the cause match your patients? A pediatric practice fits children’s programs. A practice with many older patients might choose Dental Lifeline Network. Veterans, cancer survivors and families all have programs on this list.
- Does the whole team want to do it? A cause the team picks together gets more energy than one handed down.
- Do you want a one-day event or a year-round program? A screening day is easy to schedule. A fundraiser or patient referral program takes longer but builds more momentum.
- Do you want to give care, time or money? Some charities need chair time. Others need volunteers, products or donations.
- Can you repeat it every year? An annual tradition becomes part of your practice’s story.
These are also dental volunteer opportunities for hygienists, assistants and front office staff, not just dentists. Many events need people at check-in as much as people in the chair.
Finally, pick a cause that fits your practice’s brand and values. If your practice is known for family care, a children’s charity reinforces that. Our dental branding guide can help you get clear on what your practice stands for.
15 dental charities your practice can partner with
1. Give Kids A Smile (American Dental Association)
Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) is the ADA Foundation’s national program that gives free dental care to children who otherwise wouldn’t get it. Practices, dental schools and dental societies host local events each year, with a national kickoff in early February, offering screenings, cleanings, sealants and treatment. The ADA reports that close to 6,500 dentists and 30,000 dental team members volunteer with GKAS every year. [VERIFY: confirm the current volunteer figure on ada.org]
How your practice can get involved: Host your own GKAS event, or volunteer at a larger event run by your state or local dental society. Register your event with the ADA Foundation and use the free GKAS Toolkit for planning and promotion materials. Registration for free product kits usually closes in mid-November.
Marketing angle: Post team photos in GKAS shirts and a results post (“we saw 40 kids today”), with parent consent for any child shown.
Website: adafoundation.org/GKAS
“Giving does not only precede receiving; it is the reason for it. It is in giving that we receive.” - Israelmore Ayivor
2. Smiles for Life Foundation
Smiles for Life is the charitable arm of the Crown Council. From March through June, participating practices whiten patients’ teeth in exchange for a donation. The whitening materials are donated, so 100% of each donation goes to charity: half to a local children’s charity your practice chooses, and half to the foundation’s national and international children’s programs. The campaign has raised more than $51 million since 1998.
How your practice can get involved: Sign up before the March start through the Crown Council’s Smiles for Life campaign page. Participating practices receive a marketing kit with posters, social media graphics and donation cards.
Marketing angle: Whitening appointments bring new people through your door, and a Whitening for Life program gives them a reason to come back after the campaign ends.
Website: smilesforlife.org
“Even if you don’t have a dollar to give, you still have your time, your focus, and your voice. Be generous.” -Lin-Manuel Miranda
3. Give Back a Smile (AACD Charitable Foundation)
Give Back a Smile (GBAS) is the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Charitable Foundation’s flagship program. Since 1999, it has connected adult survivors of domestic and sexual violence who have dental injuries with volunteer cosmetic dentists in the United States and Canada, who restore their smiles at no cost. Survivors apply with the help of an advocate, and the foundation refers them to a volunteer dentist.
How your practice can get involved: Sign up as a Give Back a Smile volunteer dentist to help restore smiles for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. If you can’t take a case, you can donate instead. In its 2026 report, the AACD Charitable Foundation says it costs about $500 to restore one smile through the program, with dental care donated by volunteers. This is a strong fit for cosmetic and restorative practices.
Marketing angle: Share why your practice supports the program, especially during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, but never identify a patient. Privacy comes first here.
Website: givebackasmile.com
4. Henry Schein Cares Foundation
The Henry Schein Cares Foundation is the nonprofit foundation associated with dental and medical supplier Henry Schein. It supports organizations working to expand access to care through grants and donated health care products. Henry Schein has been Give Kids A Smile’s exclusive professional product sponsor since 2003 and has donated dental supplies to Mission of Mercy clinics. The foundation’s Prevention is Power initiative supports preventive care and closer coordination between dental and medical services, including grants and product donations to selected community health centers.
How your practice can get involved: The foundation funds nonprofits, not practices. The easiest way in is to volunteer at the free clinics and events it supplies, such as GKAS and Mission of Mercy. If your practice already partners with a free clinic or community health center, point them to the Henry Schein Cares Foundation to ask about grants and product donations.
Marketing angle: Thank and tag your sponsors when you post about an event that used donated supplies.
Website: hscaresfoundation.org
“Service to others is the rent you pay for our room here on earth.” - Mohammed Ali
5. Oral Cancer Foundation
The Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) is a national nonprofit focused on oral cancer awareness, early detection, research, and patient support. Every April, during Oral Cancer Awareness Month, it encourages dental practices to host free public screening events and submit them to its events calendar so people can find screenings nearby. A free screening event is a practical way to get involved, with a format and schedule tailored to your team.
How your practice can get involved: Choose a day in April, set aside at least three hours for a free public screening event in your office, and submit your screening event to OCF’s calendar. Promote it locally to encourage attendance. OCF also invites practices that make oral cancer screenings part of their daily routine to submit a photo for its Partner Gallery.
Marketing angle: Announce the free screening on social media, your Google Business Profile and local event listings, then share how many people you screened.
Website: oralcancerfoundation.org
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away. ” - Pablo Picasso
6. TeamSmile
TeamSmile is a national nonprofit, founded in 2007, that partners dental professionals with professional and college sports teams. At its events, stadiums, arenas and school gyms become free dental clinics for children, complete with mascots, athletes and music. The goal is to give kids a dental visit they’ll remember for the right reasons. TeamSmile reports providing more than $25 million in free dental care and oral health education to over 70,000 children.
How your practice can get involved: Volunteer at a TeamSmile event near you. Events welcome dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, and non-clinical volunteers. Practices interested in bringing TeamSmile to their community can also ask about hosting a program.
Marketing angle: Photos of your team with mascots and players are some of the most shareable content you’ll ever post.
Website: teamsmile.org
7. America’s ToothFairy (National Children’s Oral Health Foundation)
America’s ToothFairy, also known as the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation, was founded in 2006 to improve children’s oral health. It supports nonprofit and safety-net dental clinics that serve children and runs Smile Drive, which collects toothbrushes, toothpaste and other oral care products for families in need. The organization is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026.
How your practice can get involved: Host a Smile Drive collection in your office at any time of year, or make a financial donation. If your practice works with a local nonprofit clinic, tell them about the America’s ToothFairy Dental Resource Program, which offers eligible member clinics access to grant opportunities, donated dental products and equipment, and educational materials.
Marketing angle: Post your collection bin at the front desk and share the final count when you drop off the donation.
Website: americastoothfairy.org
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill
8. Missions of Mercy (America’s Dentists Care Foundation)
Missions of Mercy (MOM) are large, free two-day dental clinics, usually held in arenas or convention centers and run at the state level by dental associations and foundations. America’s Dentists Care Foundation (ADCF) supports these clinics and publishes a national clinic schedule. Patients don’t need insurance, and a single clinic can involve around 1,000 volunteers.
How your practice can get involved: Find a clinic on the ADCF clinic schedule and register your team as volunteers. Dentists, hygienists and assistants provide care, and front office staff can help with check-in, hospitality and translation.
Marketing angle: Post a whole-team photo in your volunteer shirts and share how many patients the clinic treated.
Website: adcf.net
“Money is not the only commodity that is fun to give. We can give time, we can give out expertise, we can give our love, or simple give a smile. What does that cost? The point is, none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to give.” - Steve Goodier
9. Patterson Foundation
The Patterson Foundation was started and endowed by employees of Patterson Companies. It awards quarterly grants to nonprofits in the oral health and animal health fields and funds scholarships for employees’ children. Through its Dollars for Doers program, it also supports eligible charities where teams of Patterson employees volunteer. Patterson Foundation
How your practice can get involved: For-profit practices aren’t eligible for these grants, but qualifying nonprofit partners can apply. If your practice supports a nonprofit dental clinic, point them to the foundation’s oral health grant program to review eligibility and begin the application process. If your Patterson representative and at least one colleague volunteer for two or more hours with your eligible nonprofit partner, encourage them to submit a Dollars for Doers request. Qualifying activities can generate a donation of $100 per Patterson employee, up to $1,000 per event.
Marketing angle: Thank your Patterson rep and the foundation when you share event results.
Website: ourpattersonfoundation.org
10. The Diversity Foundation (Ultradent)
The Diversity Foundation was founded by Dr. Dan Fischer, the founder of Ultradent. Since 2002, it has helped young men and women who left the FLDS community in southern Utah and northern Arizona get an education and become self-sufficient. Many arrive having never attended school. The foundation also publishes children’s comic books about diversity and teamwork.
How your practice can get involved: Donate, give corporate support or volunteer through the foundation’s how you can help page. Donations help with tuition, housing and basic living costs.
Marketing angle: Share your team’s donation at back-to-school time, when education is on everyone’s mind.
Website: thediversityfoundation.org
11. Soldiers’ Angels (Treats for Troops)
Soldiers’ Angels is a national nonprofit, founded in 2003, that supports service members, veterans and their families. Its Treats for Troops program collects leftover Halloween candy and sends it to deployed troops and to veterans at VA medical centers. Businesses register as drop-off sites, and dental offices have traditionally been the backbone of the program.
How your practice can get involved: Register your practice as a Treats for Troops drop-off site before Halloween. Many practices run a candy buy-back, paying kids per pound or swapping candy for toothbrushes and small prizes, then ship the candy to Soldiers’ Angels.
Marketing angle: Weigh-in photos and a final candy total make great posts. The buy-back lands right before the year-end rush, so pair it with your year-end dental benefit reminders.
Website: soldiersangels.org
“It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.” - Albert Einstein
12. Dental Lifeline Network
Dental Lifeline Network (DLN) is a national nonprofit and strategic partner of the ADA. Its Donated Dental Services (DDS) program gives free, comprehensive dental care to people with disabilities, people who are elderly and people who are medically fragile. Volunteer dentists treat one or two patients a year in their own offices, and DLN screens patients and handles the coordination and paperwork. Volunteer dental labs donate their work too.
How your practice can get involved: Sign up as a DLN volunteer. General dentists, specialists and labs can all volunteer, and group practices can join as a team.
Marketing angle: With the patient’s written permission, share the story of a smile your team restored.
For uninsured patients who don’t qualify for donated care, an in-house plan is another way to make care affordable. See our guide to dental membership plans.
Website: dentallifeline.org
“There is no better exercise for your heart than reaching down and helping to lift someone up.” - Bernard Meltzer
13. Smiles for Everyone Foundation
Founded by Smile Brands CEO Steve Bilt, the Smiles for Everyone Foundation has provided free dental care since 2011. It serves people in need through U.S. programs including Days of Giving clinics and international outposts in countries including Ghana, Thailand, Laos and the Philippines. Its website currently reports more than 217,000 smiles delivered and approximately $162.9 million in donated dentistry. smilebrands.com
How your practice can get involved: Days of Giving clinics and international volunteer trips involve Smile Brands-affiliated providers and team members. Practices outside that network can donate to the foundation or contact its team to ask about current volunteer and partnership opportunities.
Marketing angle: Share a team donation, or photos and stories if any of your team join an outreach trip.
Website: smilesforeveryone.org
“The simplest acs of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” - Mahatma Ghandi
14. National Breast Cancer Foundation
The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) was founded in 1991 by breast cancer survivor Janelle Hail. It focuses on early detection, education and support services, including mammograms for people in need. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which makes it a natural time for a practice fundraiser.
How your practice can get involved: Run an October fundraiser, such as a pink dress day, a donation for every whitening or a donation jar at the front desk, and give the proceeds to NBCF. NBCF has guidelines for how business partners can describe their support, so check them before you promote your campaign.
Marketing angle: Post a photo of your team in pink and share your final donation total.
Website: nationalbreastcancer.org
“Love cannot remain by itself, it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action and that action is service.” - Mother Teresa
15. Oral Health Foundation (UK)
The Oral Health Foundation is a UK charity that has worked to improve oral health for nearly 50 years. It runs a dental helpline for the public and two big awareness campaigns: National Smile Month, from mid-May to mid-June, and Mouth Cancer Action Month in November. Both campaigns provide free materials for dental teams.
How your practice can get involved: UK practices can display campaign materials, share tips at appointments and run community activities. Practices anywhere can join on social media by sharing the foundation’s oral health and mouth cancer messages during each campaign. Find resources on the National Smile Month page for dental teams.
Marketing angle: Post mouth cancer self-check tips in November and smile-focused content in May and June.
Website: dentalhealth.org
How do you promote your practice’s charity work without looking self-serving?
Promote the cause and your team, not your practice, and let the results speak for themselves. Done right, charity posts feel like community news, not advertising.
- Show the team and the cause. Put volunteers and the charity front and center, with your logo in the background.
- Get consent first. Get written permission before posting any patient or child, and never post anything that identifies a survivor or vulnerable patient.
- Share results. “We raised $2,400” or “we saw 60 kids” is more powerful than any slogan.
- Thank partners and tag the charity. Charities often reshare posts from practices that tag them.
- Post before, during and after. Announce the event, share it live and post a recap. Use dental text messaging to remind patients a few days before.
Short on time? These AI dental marketing ideas can help you draft event posts and captions faster. And if your team runs its own promotion, our podcast episode on DIY dental marketing tips covers what’s worth doing in-house.
Would you like your charity to be listed?
If your organization helps people get dental care and works with dental practices, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us to be considered for this list.
Ready to make giving back part of your dental marketing?
Dental charities give your practice a way to help your community and build a reputation patients trust. Pick one cause, show up every year and let your team’s work tell the story. If you want help turning that story into content patients see, our dental marketing services can help. Weighing your options? Start with these questions about working with a dental marketing company, or hear what to know about AI marketing agencies on our podcast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a dental practice market its charity work?
Yes, a dental practice can market its charity work, as long as the giving is real and patient privacy is protected. Focus your posts on the cause, your team and the results. Get written consent before featuring any patient or child, and avoid posts that make the charity look like an advertising prop.
Which dental charities let the whole team volunteer?
Give Kids A Smile, Missions of Mercy and TeamSmile are the best dental charities for whole-team volunteering. All three run hands-on events where dentists, hygienists and assistants provide care while front office staff handle check-in, hospitality and patient flow. They’re one-day or two-day commitments, so they’re easy to plan around your schedule.
Are there dental volunteer opportunities for hygienists and assistants?
Yes. Many dental charities need hygienists and assistants as much as dentists. Missions of Mercy clinics, TeamSmile events and Give Kids A Smile days all rely on hygienists for cleanings and screenings and on assistants chairside. Oral Cancer Foundation screening events are another good fit for hygiene teams.
Is charity dental work tax-deductible?
It depends on what you donate and how you donate it. Cash gifts to a qualified charity are treated differently from donated time or services. Talk to your accountant about any tax benefits before you plan your giving around them.
How do you start a charity campaign at your practice?
Pick one cause your team cares about, set a date and a goal, and tell patients about it. Announce the campaign in your office, by email or text and on social media. During the campaign, share progress updates, then post the final results and thank everyone who took part.
Adrian Lefler is the CEO and Co-Founder of My Social Practice and a recognized dental marketing expert with nearly two decades of experience. He is a trusted voice in dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and emerging technology, and he hosts BYTE SIZED, a podcast focused on dental AI, innovation, and technology.
