Volunteer Opportunities

Programs in need of volunteers

American Association of Orthodontists Donated Orthodontic Services

866.201.5906, www.isortho.org

Illinois program for families who can not afford orthodontic treatment for their children. Families must meet eligibility requirements and fill out an application to be considered for program.

Chicago Dental Society Foundation

312.836.7301, www.cdsfound.org 

The CDS Foundation is looking for volunteers from the dental community who want to give back to the community. The CDS Foundation seeks volunteers for committee appointments, assistance with special events and advisory committees. Email Kristen Weber or call 312.836.7301 for more information.

Head Start

312.307.8798

Email Sharon Perlman, DDS, MPH, to learn more about giving a child a head start on oral health in your office.
Federal pre-school program that promotes school readiness for low income families, strives for all children to obtain optimal oral health and obtain a dental home. Must have a current Illinois license to practice dentistry.

Smiles Change Lives

888.900.3554, www.smileschangelives.org
National nonprofit that matches volunteer orthodontists with children of low-income families. Families must meet eligibility requirements, fill out an application and undergo a screening process to be considered for the program.

Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach

708.496.3900, www.mission-outreach.org
The Springfield-based non-profit has a local warehouse that collects and sorts donations of used medical and dental equipment and supplies for redistribution to needy hospitals and clinics in the developing world. Donations are welcome, and volunteers are needed to sort and pack supplies and enter data at the warehouse.

Dental clinics in need of volunteers

Alphabetized by city name.

The following clinics and services have expressed a need for volunteers. To update your listing or have your clinic or service listed, please email CDS.

Northwest Community Hospital, Mobile Dental Clinic

800 W. Central Rd.; Arlington Heights, IL 60005-2392; 847.618.5573
Volunteers: Call Nancy Colovos at 847.618.5572.
Donations accepted.

Northwest Community Hospital Mobile Dental Clinic

800 W. Central Rd.; Arlington Heights, IL 60005; 847.618.5573
Volunteers: We are reaching out to our fellow dentists, hygienists, and specialists to volunteer by providing direct patient care in our clinic. You can also help by accepting referrals for patients who require dental work beyond the clinic's scope of service. Please email Ahmed El-Maghraby for more information. 
Donations accepted. 

CommunityHealth

West Town location: 2611 W. Chicago Ave.; Chicago, IL 60622
Onward House location: 5413 W Diversey Ave.; Chicago, IL 60639
CommunityHealth, the largest volunteer-based free health clinic in the country, provides primary, specialty, and dental care, medications, lab testing, mental health services, and health education at no cost to nearly 10,000 low-income, uninsured adults in Chicago.

Volunteer Dentists and Dental Hygienists needed

  • Opportunity to provide general/preventative dental services (cleanings, exams, simple extractions, etc.) to our patients
  • Liability - all of our providers operate under the Illinois Good Samaritan Act which exempts medical professionals from civil liability when services are performed without compensation in a free clinic setting.  
  • Flexible scheduling – the clinic is open six days a week including some evenings and Saturday mornings. Volunteers can commit to as little as one four-hour clinic per month on a monthly basis.
  • Must be licensed in Illinois

Interested licensed providers: Find more information and an application here.
Volunteer Dental Assistants needed Learn more

  • Opportunity to assist with general dental services (X-rays, instrument preparation, etc)
  • Flexible scheduling: the clinic is open six days a week including some evenings and Saturday mornings. Volunteers can commit to as little as two, four-hour shifts per month on a monthly basis.
  • Certification preferred but not required; will consider applicants who have completed an accredited dental assistant course or have considerable experience.

Licensed providers are asked to fill out an application, while clinic volunteers (dental assistants) are asked to sign up for an info session.

Contact: Cate Ettinger, Education and Engagement Associate.

Goldie's Place

5705 N. Lincoln Ave.; Chicago, IL 60659
Volunteers: Contact Zohra Metalwala ("Dr. Z"), Staff Dentist, at 773.271.1212; www.goldiesplace.org
Licensed dentists and hygienists are needed to volunteer in this free clinic for homeless adults. Services include fillings, root canal therapy, scaling and root planing, extractions, and prophy and oral hygiene instruction, as well as 20 free denture cases per year. This clinic is run in partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry. Donations of supplies are also accepted.

Pacific Garden Missions

1458 S. Canal St.; Chicago, IL 60607; 312.281.4801, www.pgm.org

  • Volunteers: Call the number listed above.
  • Volunteer dentists are currently available on an extremely limited basis.
  • Donations accepted.

Core Center for HIV and AIDS

2020 W. Harrison; Chicago, IL 60612; 312.572.4500

  • Volunteers: Call the number listed above.
  • Donations accepted.

Infant Welfare Society of Chicago

3600 W. Fullerton Ave.; Chicago, IL 60647; 773.782-2800; www.infantwelfare.org
Volunteers: Call Ana Quinones at number listed above.

West Town Clinic

2418 W. Division St.; Chicago, IL 60622; 312.744.5464
Volunteers: Please call 312.413.4800

Eleanor Wester Dental Clinic, Howard Area Community Center

7648 N. Paulina Ave.; Chicago, IL 60626; 773.262.6622
Donations accepted.

Cicero Dental Clinic

4937 W. 25th St.; Cicero, IL 60804; 708.222.4629
Volunteers: Please call office director Carol Guido at the number listed above. Clinic also has openings for part-time employees. Donations accepted.

Community Nurse Health Association

27 Calendar Ave.; LaGrange, IL 60525
Volunteers needed. Donations are accepted.

Dental Lifeline Network – Illinois

P.O. Box 211; Northbrook, IL 60065; 800.893.1685
Volunteers: Please call number listed above. Donations accepted.

Willow Creek Care Center Dental and Eye Clinic

67 E. Algonquin Rd.; South Barrington, IL 60010; 224.512.2600
Volunteers: Please contact David Cimo. Seeking volunteer dentists to help serve those who can not afford basic dental care. 

CDS Foundation Clinic

416 E. Roosevelt Rd., Suite 102; Wheaton, IL 60187; 630.260.8530; www.cdsfound.org The CDS Foundation Dental Clinic is looking for volunteers from the dental community who want to give back to the community by volunteering to serve patients at the dental clinic in Wheaton. Call 630.260.8530.

DuPage County Department of Public Health

111 N. County Farm Rd.; Wheaton, IL 60187; 630.682.7560
Volunteers: Call Mila Tsagalis at 630.682.7400, ext. 7336.