Gastonia to host Missions of Mercy
The town of Gastonia, North Carolina will be the site of a “Missions of Mercy” initiative next week, aiming to help hundreds of patients with free dental care.
Free dental services will be made available next week, on Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th, for all those in desperate need to have their teeth treated. The initiative aims to help hundreds of patients during the two-day period, and the project organiser, and dental director of Gaston Family Health Services, Dr. Bill Donigan said; ‘I expect six hundred to seven hundred to show up each day.’
The project will be held at the Bethlehem Family Life Centre, offering fillings, cleanings, extractions and x-rays for all patients on a first come first serve basis. Those hoping to be treated will need to register from 6am and services will run from half seven to five in the afternoon on Friday and three in the afternoon on Saturday. Patients are only eligible for treatment if they incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level guidelines; or around $21,660 annually.
It will be one of twelve Missions of Mercy locations around the state, with around thirty volunteer dentists participating, and another organiser, Dr. Will Current Jr. said; ‘Our hope is that we do much a good job that they will want to come back.’
The Mission of Mercy initiative started in Virginia and was expanded into North Carolina with help by Dr. Donigan, who highlighted the fact that many people in Gaston County were without dental care. Dr. Current added. ‘It’s a big part of overall health but I think it’s an area that is often overlooked.’
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