THE HISTORY OF THE DFO
The Oregon Dental Foundation (ODF) was organized, in March 1982 by the Board of Trustees of the Oregon Dental Association for the purposes of providing financial assistance to dental health awareness and education activities, scholarship grants and loans to dental health professionals to further their education in dentistry, and funding of applied clinical research projects which will advance the practitioners art and science of dentistry for improved service to the public.
In 1983, the Oregon Dental Foundation (ODF) applied to the IRS for public charity classification and became the charitable arm to the Oregon Dental Association. In 2011, the IRS approved the name change to The Dental Foundation of Oregon (DFO), and continued to classify the organization as a 501 (c)(3). The organization remains a public charity organization 93-0818476.
From 1997 to 2003, the Oregon Dental Foundation established an advised fund with the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF), with the ODF making grant funding recommendations and the OCF administering and processing the grants totaling $435,762.
In 2004 the Oregon Dental Foundation changed the advised fund to an endowment partner fund with the Oregon Community Foundation. From 2004 through 2007, the ODF assumed the grant administration, and from then on, grants/distributions were then made directly by the DFO. From 1997 to 2007, The Dental Foundation provided grants totaling more than $366,235.
In 2007 the Oregon Smile Survey was published, revealing a cavity crisis among Oregon’s children. The board of directors activated its expertise and resources to respond to this critical need and the organization changed its name from the Oregon Dental Foundation to The Dental Foundation of Oregon. It also revised its mission and became a direct service provider via the Tooth Taxi.
From 2008 until 2021, the Tooth Taxi, a mobile dental clinic based on a successful, and evidence-based initiative in South Dakota and became a unique and exemplary public/private partnership between The Dental Foundation of Oregon, MODA Health, and OEA Choice Trust. The first Tooth Taxi launched in September 2007 and was officially retired in 2023.
Presently, a new state of the art Tooth Taxi began serving the state of Oregon in February 2024. The Tooth Taxi is funded with private donor and grant funding, along with a $75K sponsorship from Moda Health. The Tooth Taxi is staffed with full time professional dental staff (1 dentist, 2 hygienists), and a program manager. As Moda Health employees, The Dental Foundation of Oregon reimburses Moda each month for their services.
Since the Tooth Taxi first hit the road in September 2008, Oregon youth served include:
25,972 students screened
15,868 appointments in the Tooth Taxi
25,915 students received oral hygiene education in the classroom
$9,048,415 value of free dental care provided