More than 1,000 volunteers from 192 Wisconsin communities will be in Eau Claire, Wis. on June 17 – 18 to provide $1 million in free dental care to an estimated 2,000 children and adults during the eighth Wisconsin Dental Association and WDA Foundation Mission of Mercy.
Cleanings, fillings, extractions, partial dentures and basic oral hygiene and dietary education will be delivered by 155 volunteer dentists, 238 dental hygienists and dental assistants, 186 Marquette University School of Dentistry students and hundreds of other community helpers.
The 2016 WDA Mission of Mercy will be held at the Menards Conference Center, 5150 Old Mill Plaza, in Eau Claire.
Doors open at 5:30 a.m. both days. Individuals seeking dental care should line up at the back entrance marked “Patient Entrance”. Early arrival is encouraged, because available patient slots are typically filled by 10 a.m.
Approximately 1,000 patients will be seen each day on a first-come, first-served basis. There are no appointments.
Individuals of all ages are welcome. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Volunteer Spanish, Hmong and American Sign Language interpreters will be available to assist patients.
No photo identification, Social Security number or other personal identification or documentation required. However, medically-compromising conditions, such as extremely high blood pressure or severe disabilities, may prohibit an individual from receiving care.
Major financial and in-kind support is provided by Delta Dental of Wisconsin Charitable Fund, Dental Health Products, Inc., DentaQuest, Henry Schein Dental,Patterson Dental, and West Bend Community Foundation’s West Bend Mutual Independent Agents’ Fund.
Delta Dental of Wisconsin Charitable Fund, Dr. Tim and Mrs. Sue Durtsche, Gerhard’s Kitchen & Bath/First Supply LLC, Henry Schein Dental, Kwik Trip and Professional Insurance Programs – a division of WDA Insurance and Services Corp., have supported all eight WDA MOM programs.
More than 100 organizations and individuals have made tax-deductible financial and in-kind donations to help cover $210,000 in costs for equipment and facility rental, supplies, pharmaceuticals and food for this major charitable dental care event which includes one day each for setup and cleanup.
“The Eau Claire community and other volunteers from across the state are coming together to host this large-scale dental charitable event and provide critical dental care to those who need it most,” WDA Mission of Mercy Local Committee Chair Dr. Jeffrey Jones, a retired oral and maxillofacial surgeon from Eau Claire, said.
WDA dentists and other MOM volunteers donate $6 – $8 in care for every dollar received. More than 14,300 children and adults have received in excess of $8.12 million in donated care at WDA Mission of Mercy events since 2009.
Visit the WDA Foundation donor page to help provide financial support to MOM and other charitable care and oral hygiene education outreach efforts.
A multi-language patient flyer and answers to frequently asked patient questions can be found on WDA.org in the Mission of Mercy section under the WDA Foundation tab.
Please note: Patients should not wait for the WDA Mission of Mercy to seek care for dental pain, as this could signal a serious condition.