In his early days as a periodontist working in Connecticut, Dr. Michael Perl was alarmed by the number of patients who lacked the financial resources for dental care. In 2007, Michael joined forces with Dr. Robert Schreibman to form a non-profit, Connecticut Foundation for Dental Outreach and create the Connecticut Mission of Mercy Free Dental Clinic (CTMOM). They rallied their colleagues to volunteer at the clinic. Their colleagues continue to volunteer year after year.

“CTMOM helps people of all ages and provides dental services and oral health education to the underserved; those who need it most. We provide cleanings, fillings, root canals, extractions, and replace teeth …we do most of what can be done in a dental office,” says Michael, who has a Donor Advised Fund at the Jewish Community Foundation.

Like many of our donors, Michael has identified a significant problem and is committed to fixing it and improving the community. Oral health is inseparable from general health, according to Michael. “People may not realize that if you have an infection in your mouth, it could be a question of life or death,” he explains.

CTMOM has hosted a clinic annually in various locations in Connecticut since 2007, treating more than 21,198 individuals and providing over $13,773,398 in donated dental care. For more information, please visit https://cfdo.org/.