Dr. Teresa Fong Receives 2015 Humanitarian Service Award

(Minneapolis, MN) – – Dr. Teresa Fong was selected as the recipient of the Minnesota Dental Association (MDA) 2015 Humanitarian Service Award. She was honored by nearly 9,000 dental professionals at the MDA’s annual convention, the Star of the North Meeting at the RiverCentre in St. Paul.

Dr. Fong earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry and her pediatric specialty certificate from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. For more than 25 years she has practiced pediatric dentistry in the Twin Cities metro area, while committing countless volunteer hours toward improving access to dental care for underserved children. She is instrumental in the continued success of the Give Kids a Smile event at Sharing and Caring Hands Homeless Shelter, where more than 1,500 children have been served over the past 15 years. She also serves as a media spokesperson for the MDA’s statewide Give Kids a Smile event each year.

In addition, Dr. Fong works year-round to increase awareness and volunteer dentist participation in the Sharing and Caring Hands Dental Clinic for the indigent population. She has also been a volunteer dentist at the Uptown Community Clinic, the Minnesota Mission of Mercy and the Medical Teams International/Mobile Dental Clinic.

Throughout her career, Dr. Fong has been actively involved in organized dentistry, having served on numerous committees at the state and district levels. She was on the Executive Council of the Minneapolis District Dental Society for many years, and served as its president in 2003-2004. At the Minnesota Dental Association she served as chair of the Dental Education Committee and the Children’s Dental Health Committee.

Dr. Fong is also an adjunct clinical faculty member at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and has been co-chair of the fundraising effort for the Pediatric Dental Residency Clinic, providing opportunities for dental-medical collaboration with the new University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital.

The Minnesota Dental Association is the voice of dentistry in Minnesota, representing practicing dentists. It is committed to the highest standards of oral health and access to care for all Minnesotans. You can learn more at www.mndental.org.