Korean Association of Orthodontists Foundation offers Charity Orthodontic Project for Adolescents
The Korean Association of Orthodontists (KAO) Foundation, which was founded in 2012, is furthering the KAO’s efforts to provide complimentary orthodontic treatment to underprivileged children in South Korea. The KAO has been offering this type of assistance since 2003.
The KAO Foundation’s Charity Orthodontic Project for Adolescents aims to provide orthodontic treatment to 180 adolescents this year. Those adolescents chosen for treatment are exempt from payment. At this time, the program does not have a waiting list, and patients are selected on a yearly basis.
Approximately 200 KAO-member orthodontists participate in the Charity Orthodontic Project for Adolescents. The KAO recognizes these members at its annual meeting and gives them a certificate of appreciation.
“The primary goals of the Foundation are to provide orthodontic care for adolescents in need and to support research on malocclusion, but it also provides education and information on orthodontic treatment to the public,” said Dr. Chung-Ju Hwang, president of the KAO. The Foundation has increased its help to adolescents, and, in 2013, more than 150 children received treatment through the program.”
As part of its public and community outreach efforts, the KAO Foundation promotes orthodontic care on Baruni Day. “Baruni stands for straight teeth in Korean and also represents the charity group founded by the KAO,” Dr. Hwang said.