The Donated Dental Services (DDS) program is just one way that the dental profession reaches out to individuals who are disabled, elderly or medically compromised, who cannot afford necessary dental treatment and who cannot receive public aid such as Medicare or Medicaid.  DDS collaborates to arrange for comprehensive dental care thanks to the compassion and commitment of thousands of volunteer dentists and laboratories across the nation.   Unlike other community service programs, DDS volunteers donate services in their own offices instead of central treatment centers.  Dentists work in familiar settings and most patients can get help in conveniently located offices.  Some patients have exceptional management needs or require specialty care and many specialists also volunteer. Some dentists integrate the DDS patients into their practices after the treatment plan they determines through DDS while others only treat each DDS patient once, returning them to good health and function.  Upon finishing treatment, the dentists report the procedures they completed and their value.  The dentists also can suggest ways to improve the referral process.  The office staffs of the participating dentists are important partners; they schedule appointments and contact the Coordinator when a specialist or laboratory is needed.  The Coordinator also helps to resolve any problems.   The Foundation gives all participating dentists engraved plaques to thank them for their community service.  The generous support of the Colgate-Palmolive Company started this tradition and other funders now support this important recognition effort.