This Phoenix event will provide thousands with free dental care. Here's what to know
Thousands of people will receive free medical screens and dental care on Dec. 8-9 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds as part of the 11th annual Dental Mission of Mercy event.
The AZDA Cares Foundation said an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 patients were expected to be treated during the two-day event. More than 300 metro Phoenix dentists will provide their services.
According to their website, 42% of Arizona adults over 65 years have lost 6 or more teeth due to decay or gum disease.
Kevin Earle, the current President of the AzDA Cares Foundation and former Executive Director of the Arizona Dental Association, said that several dental and oral hygiene services will be provided to patients at no cost, including fillings, root canals, denture fittings and tooth extractions.
"It's an opportunity for the entire dental community ... to come together and give back to the community," Earle said. "They deliver a lot of free care to people who are in pain."
Medical pre-screenings are also available if patients register online. On Thursday, Dec. 7, at 5 p.m., patients can begin the prescreening process, which includes blood pressure tests, oral X-ray examinations, discussions of dental concerns with dentists and identifying treatment plans. Patients can then schedule appointments for the following day and receive triage for whatever dental services they may need.
Walk-ins are also welcome at the Mission of Mercy event, Evans said.
The event adheres to a "no questions asked" policy, where anybody in the Valley can walk in and receive dental care and oral treatment free of charge. This also includes families and children, Earle added.
Dental event helps stop pain, prevent larger issues
The organization focuses on educating the public on the importance of proper dental care and oral hygiene, Ava Evans, director of the AzDA Cares Foundation, said.
"Our main initiative is wanting to bring critical dental education and preventative care (to the public)," Evans said. "Awareness and advocacy are really important at AzDA Cares."
Even if patients only get dental care at the annual Mission of Mercy events, Earle said that could hopefully save them a trip to the emergency room, which may not provide dental care.
"For people to go and get routine dental care is an important thing," said Earle. "We make sure that small problems don't become bigger problems."
Earle said AzDA primarily works with underprivileged individuals who may not have access to affordable dentistry.
"Routine dental care is not as expensive as you might think," said Earle. "The more that you ignore a dental problem, the more problematic it's going to be for you, and the more potentially expensive it is for you."
At the 2022 event, more than 1,100 people received dental care and held a value worth $485,000 towards overall procedures performed, according to the AzDA Cares website.
Earle said the event has provided an estimated value of $23 million in dental care over the past 10 years.
"We've brought the entire dental community together to focus on charitable needs," Earle said.
AzDA Cares also collaborates with several sponsors during the event, including St. Mary's Food Bank, which will provide thousands of meals to patients, and the Arizona Department of Health Services. Sponsors provide medical and dental supplies, funding, staff and donations to the event, Evans said.
'It takes a lot of hands'
In addition to their partnerships, thousands of volunteers, including various members of the health care community such as pharmacists, physicians and nurses, were also expected to contribute to the Mission of Mercy event, Earle said.
"It takes a lot of hands to be able to handle the volume of patients we expect," Earle said.
Volunteers are still needed for the event. Those who are interested can visit their website for more information. People can also make donations to the event.
Dental Mission of Mercy event
When: Dec. 8-9 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Arizona State Fairgrounds, 1826 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix.
Details: https://azdacares.org/mission-of-mercy/
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Free dental care in Phoenix: How to get help at Mission of Mercy event
