Dentist wins $20,000 to donate, gives it to Indiana University
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Posted April 23, 2009 |
By Jennifer Garvin South Bend, Ind.—The name of the contest was Make-A-Difference, and that's exactly what Dr. Paul Glass hopes to do for his alma mater.
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Wish fulfillment: Jack Ruppel (left), president of Premier Dental Products Co., congratulates Dr. Paul Glass, winner of Premier Dental's Make-A-Difference contest. He donated the $20,000 from Premier to his alma mater, Indiana University School of Dentistry, for its Division Community Dentistry Priority Fund.
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Dr. Glass, a general dentist from South Bend, was the winner of the Make-A-Difference contest. Premier Dental Products Co. sponsored the contest to help dentists make a difference in their workplaces and communities.
Still, even though Dr. Glass entered the contest last fall, he couldn't quite believe he'd won. It wasn't until he saw he an e-mail message from Jack Ruppel, president of Premier, that it sunk in.
"I never win anything, but when I saw that e-mail, I thought, "Maybe I did win,' " Dr. Glass recalled.
For his efforts, Premier Dental has donated $20,000 in Dr. Glass' name to the Division Community Dentistry Priority Fund at the Indiana University School of Dentistry.
The money will go toward upgrading the school's mobile dental clinic that was previously used exclusively for a statewide, school-based sealant program.
The upgrade will enable the mobile clinic to be used for restorative treatment for 3- and 4-year-old Head Start children in rural Indiana who have not been receiving follow-up care. Currently, the clinic provides sealants only for the children, but thanks to Dr. Glass, will now be able to perform restorative work as well.
"We're delighted about this opportunity," said Karen Yoder, Ph.D., director of the Community Dentistry Division at IU. "This will allow us to involve dental students and pediatric dentistry residents in a new experience that will take them to rural areas to service children from low-income families. We will be able to provide care in underserved areas of Indiana and at the same time, foster in our students a better understanding of issues related to disparities in access to dental care.
"It was a wonderful surprise," she added, referring to the donation.
"While it is great to win any contest, winning this one is interesting because of the premise of having to give the money away," said Dr. Glass, a 1996 graduate of the school. "It feels good, especially in today's economic environment where there are so many people in need, to be able to help IU's community outreach programs."
Said Julie Charlestein, Premier's vice president of branding and business development, in a press release, "This contest was designed to appeal to the inner philanthropist in every individual, empowering them to give on a grander scale than normal circumstance might allow."
Teeth are a big deal for the Glass family. His father, Dr. Gerald K. Glass, is a retired general dentist. His mother, Anne, is a former hygienist who once taught at IU. His grandfather, great uncle, uncle and cousin were or are practicing dentists.
"I don't know that I consciously had an a-ha moment when I decided to become a dentist, but I definitely grew up knowing that it was a good profession and I was fortunate enough to get into dental school and practice with my father," he said.
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