Free dental care brought smiles, new hope to Arizonans in need

Residents from all over Arizona convened on Friday for the two day free dental care event aimed at assisting those in greatest need.

The annual Dental Mission of Mercy event took place at the Arizona State Fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday. By Friday afternoon, the event had already provided dental care to 1,400 patients.

The AzDA Cares Foundation initiated the event 12 years ago, bringing together skilled specialists who collaborated with nearly every type of dental professional. All 1,500 volunteers dedicated their expertise and time to the event.

"Just to give somebody back a smile or even their health is really what we're about, to make their life better in whatever little way we can do that," said Mission of Mercy event founder Dr. Jacqueline Allen, an endodontist, who initiated the event with a small group of co-founders.

More than 2,000 patients expected for this year's event

Crowds started gathering in the early Friday morning hours to secure a spot in line at the 19th Avenue fairgrounds entrance. By the afternoon, the line had extended nearly to the busy intersection of Monte Vista Road and 19th Avenue.

The fairgrounds hosted the event inside the coliseum, utilizing its numerous convention center-like halls. The entire arena floor was transformed into a versatile dental office ready to serve patients.

It took 12 hours to transform the coliseum from "a bare concrete floor to a full functioning multi-specialty dental clinic where patients can come in and receive comprehensive life-changing care. That's pretty remarkable," said Dr. Steven Richardson.

Separated by the type of care provided, blue curtains designated each section of the operation. Traditional dental cleanings and fillings were located next to a private section for more intense procedures such as root canals and full tooth extractions.

Doctors, hygienists, students, and volunteers were easily identifiable in their brightly colored shirts as they stood amidst the organized and intentionally clean rows of dentist chairs, with not an empty seat in sight.

"If we couldn't do what we did here then the other option is to pull these teeth out," said Richardson, who felt supported by the massive staff that made the event possible.

While in the chairs, patients underwent a vital check before receiving treatment, and they didn't have to pay for the services rendered. Some of them traveled from as far as Tucson.

Patients were not required to show identification; they only needed to provide immediately relevant information such as their name and age.

Susan Zygutis was in an event side room dedicated solely to the manufacturing and replacement of dentures.

"Now I'm going to be able to smile and I'm so blessed about it because I've been coming here for three years," said Zygutis as she smiled proudly, showcasing the dentures that were freshly crafted by a member of the event's collaborating dentistry group, the Global Denture Alliance.

To manage the large crowd awaiting care, AzDA Cares collaborated with its professionals to prioritize patients experiencing dental infections and pain.

Despite the prioritization, dental professionals and their assistants offered smaller-scale yet equally impactful services, including dentures and routine cleanings, which many people might not otherwise have access to.

Giving Back

Zygutis said she lived off a single income and couldn't otherwise pay for the new set of dentures she had received.

Allen said people like Zygutis were the core patients being treated. A year after losing her 23-year-old son, Allen initiated the event to honor his legacy by connecting with those in need.

"Dentistry is all I know," said Allen.

Allen expressed hope that more dentists would volunteer their time for the event to address the overwhelming demand.

State-of-the-art technology

A dedicated section of the coliseum hall utilized state-of-the-art technology, enabling the creation of dental stayplates in under four hours.

The dental stayplates, resembling partials, were specifically for missing front teeth. On-site dentists referred to them as "party teeth," allowing patients to showcase a complete smile whenever desired.

Volunteers from Wiand Lab and Prosmile iLab used 3D scanners to generate a real-time digital replica of the patients' teeth and gums. This allowed technicians to send the scan to overseas processing, which returned a fully printable stayplate customized to match the patients' actual tooth color.

Regina Vasquez had just finished the scan for the stayplate and had already received a cleaning. She shared that she had lost a significant other who was supposed to help her with dental expenses totaling around $3,500, but she received the needed treatment for free at the event.

"He wanted me to have more self-confidence, he wasn't able to help me, so coming out here is gonna be a big change heading forward," said Vasquez.

Vasquez has had previous treatment done at the event and knew she could count on the compassion and understanding of the ensemble of dental professionals.

Volunteers

In the center of the arena, there was another specialty area dedicated to those in need of root canals. Dr. Brad Gettleman, a member of the American Association of Endodontists and affiliated with Midwestern University Clinic, was present to support the Friday event.

"We help with access to care, it's something we really believe is our mission, as endodontist, we are the experts at saving teeth," said Gettleman.

Gettleman and the other endodontists were assisted by students, some of whom were gaining their first hands-on experience with actual dental procedures.

Ailea Garcia Salas, along with her fellow students, volunteered at the event. She is currently studying to become a dental hygienist at Phoenix College, with a particular focus on oral surgery.

"I know that for a lot of people dentistry is a privilege, so I want to be able to help people because I know it's really need," said Salas. "So far I've just been doing a sterilization if I'm being honest, then right now I walked through extraction as my first time ever seeing anything like that."

The simplicity of extractions made it the preferred option for many patients at the event. However, it was the endodontists who dedicated their time to preserving original teeth through procedures like root canals.

Even if teeth were pulled, options remained plentiful for those treated at the event, Laura Jones had 13 of her teeth pulled at last year's event and was awaiting a new set of dentures.

"They pulled my teeth and told me to come back this year for my follow-up and here I am being blessed enough to walk out with dentures for the new year. They've definitely gone above and beyond and there's no words to express honestly," said Jones.

The event was supported by a variety of sponsors such as the Arizona Department of Health Services, United Healthcare, and Dental Quest, Patterson Dental, and United Concordia Dental.

Is the event still accepting new patients?

The line at the event nearly reached the start of the 19th Avenue entrance at the fairgrounds and was officially capped by dental professionals onsite who mentioned they had treated all the patients they could for the day.

People were encouraged to line up on a first-come, first-serve basis on Saturday, although a guarantee couldn't be made. AzDA Cares recommends potential patients to stay tuned to their social media pages, which can be found at the bottom of their website.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Over 2,000 people got free dental care at Arizona State Fairgrounds