Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Pacific Dental Services announces its supported dental practice, Liberty Oaks Dental Group, will provide donated dentistry to exoneree Ricky Kidd, who served 23 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Kidd was finally freed yesterday. On Saturday, August 17, Kidd will receive the dental care he needs and get a new smile on Smile Generation® Serve Day, an annual day of service and nationwide campaign that provides donated dentistry to people in need. PDS is once again partnering with The Smile Generation for the ninth annual Smile Generation Serve Day. Since its inception in 2011, more than 15,000 patients have received donated dentistry during Smile Generation Serve Day, totaling $25 million in oral health care.
Dr. Matthew Yip, DDS, of Liberty Oaks Dental Group, will provide oral health care to Kidd, who has not received dental care since 1996 when he was wrongfully convicted for a robbery and double murder. “When I heard about Mr. Kidd’s situation, I immediately recognized that my team and I were given an opportunity to help him take the first steps toward a new life,” said Dr. Yip. “Many patients like Mr. Kidd have a difficult time finding access to care. My hope is that we will help by giving him a new smile along with a healthier outlook on life.”
Pacific Dental Services recently announced that for the 14th time it has earned a spot on the Inc. 5000, Inc. Magazine’s exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The primary purpose of PDS, a leading dental support organization that provides business and administrative services to over 750 dental practices in 21 states, is to help great dentists keep their patients healthier and happier. Although they are one of America’s fastest-growing private companies, Pacific Dental Services believes the way they do business is as critical as whether business is good or bad. Their culture of service is embedded in the company. “Service is at the core of who we are as an organization,” said Stephen E. Thorne, IV, Founder and CEO at PDS. “Participating in the act of service changes our hearts and minds about what matters most in life. Our success enables us to create opportunities to serve through improving oral health care locally, nationally and internationally. We’re humbled to have the opportunity for our supported practice, Liberty Oaks Dental Group, to provide donated dentistry to Mr. Kidd.”
Kidd, who is a client of the Midwest Innocence Project and After Innocence, was released from Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron on August 15. Upon release, he felt a range of emotions that included both anger and elation. “I am very angry, and I continue to be,” said Kidd. “We all need to be angry, including taxpayers who foot the bill for 23 years paying for the wrong person to be in prison, while the real individuals are out there. We should be angry about that and should also be willing to do something about it.”
After Innocence is a non-profit organization that serves prison exonerees nationwide – many of whom falsely imprisoned for decades. “Smile Generation Serve Day is a game-changer for dozens of our exoneree-clients. Pacific Dental Services-supported dentists across the country are welcoming After Innocence exonerees into their offices, providing extensive pro bono services, and helping these deserving individuals take an important step in rebuilding their lives after wrongful convictions,” said Jon Eldan, Executive Director of After Innocence.
PDS remains focused on its commitment to competitive growth and clinical excellence and has made significant investments to enhance the tools and resources for their supported dentists so that they can continue to keep their patients healthier and happier. This includes educating patients about the link between oral health and whole-body health – what PDS and its supported practices call the Mouth-Body Connection®. Research shows that harmful bacteria and inflammation in the mouth can indicate and even cause systemic conditions throughout the body. Maladies of the mouth, including periodontal disease, may be linked with other medical conditions including oral cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and more.
About Pacific Dental Services®
Founded in 1994, Pacific Dental Services (PDS) is one of the country’s leading dental support organizations, providing supported autonomy that enables dentists to concentrate on clinical excellence and the highest levels of cost-effective comprehensive patient care. PDS originated the Private Practice+® model to enable dentists to focus on their passion: serving patients. PDS also pioneered the concept of Modern Dentistry so that dentists are equipped to combine advances in the latest technology with the best operational practices and procedures, highly skilled support staff and a commitment to ongoing training and education. PDS continues to grow, with over 700 supported dental offices across the United States and plans to expand into several new markets. PDS supported dentists aim to be the provider of choice in all the markets they serve and to develop Patients for Life™.
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