The Texas Dental Association (TDA) is seeking dentists, dental assistants, and hygienists to volunteer at the upcoming free-to-patients, one-day dental clinic in Fort Stockton.
The clinic will be held Saturday, September 20, and because of a large expected turnout, about 100 to 150 volunteers are needed to help with the event, according to a fortstocktonpioneer.com story.
The TDA Smiles Foundation is the charity arm of the TDA and part of the Texas Mission of Mercy program, offering mobile dental clinics that travel across the state offering basic dental care to the uninsured. Since 2001, TDA Smiles has provided nearly $15 million worth of dental care to more than 29,000 patients.
Stockton dentist Delton Yarbrough, DDS, dental chair of the event, said the area has only five dentists between El Paso, San Antonio, and Presidio. He notes that a large segment of the Fort Stockton population is on Medicaid and can't afford regular dental care.
The TDA Smiles Foundation will provide services in self-contained trucks with 20 patient stations. The group provided matching funds for the event.
Among the services provided will be teeth cleaning, extractions, fillings, and pediatric dentistry, although root canals will probably not be available. Antibiotics and non-narcotic pain medications such as ibuprofen will be available.
The night before the event, the Rotary Club will feed volunteers, and the Lions Club will provide a lunch for volunteers and patients on Saturday, September 20.
Volunteers can sign up at the Texas Mission of Mercy website.
