Amidst the mountains in Wise County Virginia, the Virginia
Dental Association hosted its annual Mission of Mercy (MoM) clinic over the
weekend. Hundreds of volunteers turned out to serve food, repair teeth and
offer check-ups to some 1300 folks who are unemployed, uninsured or
underinsured, as well as their families. Without access to affordable dental
care, many people -- especially those who are low-income, underinsured,
disabled or seniors -- are left to suffer pain, discomfort, and embarrassment
with nowhere else to turn. One young man walked more than 20 miles to get
to the clinic…only 25 years old…and he needed dentures.
The Wise County MoM, one of the oldest and largest of the MoMs,
celebrated its 15th year of service this weekend. In that time, 13,597
Southwest Virginia area patients have received free dental care valued at $
13.9 million. Thousands of volunteers have made it all possible.
Marcia Brand, Deputy Administrator at HRSA, worked alongside
members of the DentaQuest team in Triage throughout the entire clinic…it was
fantastic having her there. Dr. Charles Norman, ADA President, worked in
the restorative area during the entire clinic as well as with DentaQuest folks
in Triage. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe was onsite on Friday and clearly
taken aback by what he saw and the desperate need for health care and dental
services. Gov. McAuliffe took time to recognize the 15 years of service
milestone, reading a proclamation and thanking the group and the volunteers for
many years of needed service.
A similar clinic was held in Charles County Maryland this
weekend, the 7th Mission of Mercy clinic in Maryland and the second in Southern
Maryland. Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) visited the clinic on Friday, July
18. “With every dollar donated,” he said, “this program delivers $17
in dental services to Southern Marylanders, providing tremendous value to our
community and reducing the number of emergency room visits at our local
hospitals…and ensures that the underserved in our community have the care they
need.”
Between the two MoMs, nearly 3,000 adults and children received
free medical, dental and vision services this weekend. DentaQuest had teams
supporting both MoMs. In Wise County, DentaQuest provided snacks for nearly
1,000 volunteer health care and general support volunteers who worked hard
throughout the weekend to treat as many as they could.
The Missions of Mercy free care clinics are helping people who
are out of options for dental care, but they are a stop gap, not a solution.
While we celebrate the spirit of generosity that supports the large volume of
people who continue to seek emergency dental care through MoM free care
clinics, we are also reminded that we haven’t yet resolved the need for access
to routine dental care services and the touching individual stories that
spotlight the critical need for improving the oral health of all.
Children have options. The Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides
health coverage, including dental services, to nearly 8 million children in
families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid, but who can't afford
private coverage. In the Affordable Care Act (ACA) pediatric dental is an
essential health benefit.
DentaQuest is proud to support MoMs and DADs (Dental Action
Days) clinics. We are honored to provide supporting donations and send
volunteers to many of these clinics. Dental disease is nearly 100 percent
preventable-- when people have access to quality care and prevention. Many do
not. That’s a challenge we’re working to overcome.