Special Report
CARE AND DIGNITY
One Smile from page 16
help:' Rosen said.
Zuroff said,"The time involved for
each volunteer is actually minimal to
do such a big mitzvah. It takes only one
three-hour block every other month:'
Zuroff hopes to increase the small
core of paid staff, which now includes
an office manager and Yelena Rozin of
West Bloomfield, a hygienist-chair side
assistant, who speaks Russian, as do
many of the clinic's patients.
In addition to the volunteer clinic
staff, volunteer specialists open their
offices to see patients who need extra
care.
"Volunteering at the clinic allows us
to give back," Won said. "A great part
of working there is being with other
professionals, working together, doing
something good for our community"
"The Jewish Dental Clinic would not
exist without the 310-member Detroit
chapter of Alpha Omega;' Luria said.
The local group is a chapter of the
103-year-old international, professional
Jewish dental fraternity created by
dental students to fight discrimination
found in dental schools. Among its
contributions, the fraternity has raised
millions of dollars for the establish-
ment of dental schools in Jerusalem
and Tel Aviv.
Luria said, "In the 1980s, we treated
Russian Jews who immigrated to
Detroit, at no cost; and every year since
2000, we have been providing oral
exams, fluoride treatments and making
mouth guards for [local] participants
of the Special Olympics.
"To be able to help patients through
the Jewish Dental Clinic is a culmina-
tion of many individual projects we
have been involved in and provides a
continuity of dental care within the
Jewish community.
"Practically all of the 80 dentists in
the Jewish Dental Clinic are members
of AO's Detroit chapter;' Luria said.
Gratitude For Service
A group of (anonymous) patients
stressed the benefits of the clinic, say-
ing they would have no dental care
without it; they expressed gratitude
for the excellent treatment and respect
received. "Dental care can be very
expensive and very painful if you don't
have it when you need it' said one
patient. Another shared how the clinic
"gives me piece of mind',' adding, "I
love my teeth:'
The clinic and Zuroff's volunteerism
were inspired by his dad, the late Dr.
Arnold Zuroff. "My father was the king
of taking care of people who were in
need," he said. "He was an endodontist
18
October 7 • 2010
JP4
who very, very often gave free care. So
many people out there are doing it; this
clinic allows us to come together."
Also involved at the clinic is Sheryl
Krohner, a dental hygienist from Oak
Park, who is Zuroff's sister.
"In these hard times, there are
more people who can't pay for dental
care; but we are also seeing patients
who, even in good times, never had
it',' she said. "Now the list is even lon-
ger. I know it feels awkward for some
patients to come to the clinic where
they may know some of the volunteers,
but everything is kept completely con-
Drs. Margo Woll and Mickey Zuroff
fidential. I've worked in other dental
offices, but the thank-yous we get there
are nothing like what we hear at the
clinic."
Luria said,"The appreciation alone
makes what we do worthwhile. Some
have been in pain for so long and didn't
see a way out of it; they didn't think
anyone would be there to take care of
them."
Project Chessed statistics show that
between 5 and 10 percent of all Jewish
households in Metro Detroit are with-
out health insurance.
"We have a long way to go:' Zuroff
said. "We see us down the line being a
model for other cities. Across the com-
munity there are many who had den-
tal insurance and lost their jobs. It's
something that can happen to anyone.
If this isn't the time to step up and
be there for those less fortunate, then
when is? It is our obligation."
❑
•To become a patient or vol-
unteer, or to make a donation
to the Jewish Dental Clinic, call
(248) 497-6224.
•For Project Chessed, call
(248) 592-2300, or e-mail:
ryoskowitz®jfsdetroit.org .