Encore Rides Sponsors Dental Clinic Services for an Outstanding Repeat Performance

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On April 8th, local guided bike tour business, Encore Rides, adopted a day of service at HealthLink Dental Clinic - and not for the first time.

Repeating its charitable giving contribution from 2019, Encore Rides took part in the free dental clinic's Adopt A Day program whereby a local business, organization, or individual "sponsors" a day of the services provided to low-income workers and military veterans at the charity located on Street Road in Southampton. A $500 financial donation could assist HealthLink in providing: a local low-wage earner with their first ever visit with a dentist, a military veteran with a root canal for a tooth that may have otherwise just been extracted, or a filling for a single mother who has been in pain for months.

Encore Rides, owned by Rick James of Doylestown, adopted a Thursday in April to correspond with the beginning of the bike tour season. The sponsorship resulted in a social media blitz on Facebook updating the general public on the services being provided and the patients being served thanks to the support of Encore Rides.

By day's end, it was clear that local business support of the free dental clinic made a positive impact on the oral health needs of our neighbors:

• 18 members of the community walked through the clinic doors (properly masked and following COVID-19 safety protocols) to receive much-needed dental care.

• 7 of those appointments were for cleanings, provided by students from the dental hygiene program at Montgomery County Community College (and overseen by faculty).

• Our part-time dentist and dental assistant treated 11 more patients and provided services such as extractions, fillings, root canals, and crown build-ups or insertions.

A donation of $500 resulted in the clinic's ability to provide more than $5,000 in dental services to eligible patients.

"We are thrilled to have the support of local business owners like Rick James," comments Raquel Braemer, Executive Director at HealthLink. "A healthy mouth is the gateway to improved overall health and well-being. When we provide a dental home for vulnerable adults in our community, we are doing more then cleaning their teeth; HealthLink Dental Clinic can increase an individual's confidence and employability, reduce the likelihood of them having to visit the ER or miss work for mouth pain, and create good habits leading to decreased risk of uncontrolled diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and so much more."

HealthLink encourages other local businesses, service and networking organizations, and even individuals to participate in their Adopt a Day fundraising program. To learn more about the charity's program, visit www.healthlinkdental.org/adoptaday .

To learn more about HealthLink Dental Clinic, who is eligible to become a patient, and the free dental services available, visit www.healthlinkdental.org or call (215) 364-4247.

Click here to view the article published in the Bucks County Herald on April 29, 2021.