Thousands flock to free dental clinic in Virginia
A free outdoor dental clinic in rural Virginia has attracted thousands of patients.
Over the course of the weekend, tents were erected and filled with dental equipment, while patients queued to be seen by volunteer staff. The clinic was held in the rural Appalachian area, where access to dental services is very poor.
Over the course of the weekend, more than 2,600 teeth were extracted as volunteer staff tried to get through the lengthy waiting list. The clinic, which is in its 11th year is organised by the Remote Area Medical organisation, which is based in Knoxville. Stan Brock, the founder of the organisation, has been all over the world helping people who have been affected by war, humanitarian and natural disasters; he has now returned to Knoxville because he recognised that there were hundreds, even thousands, of people who needed his help closer to home.
The Wise clinic offers a range of medical treatments, including X-rays, gynaecological examinations, cancer screenings, hearing and sight tests and treatment for diabetes and heart problems; however, the majority of patients come to the huge outdoor clinic for dental treatment.
Terry Dickinson, one of the dentists involved in the clinic, said that dental care is a huge problem in the area, especially for the older generation. Dickinson said that he was pleased that healthcare reform had become a priority for President Obama; however, he is still worried about the older generation, as it seems the new plans will not have the required impact.
The majority of the patients have struggled to find affordable care; most cannot afford the cost of treatment and those covered by Medicaid struggle to find a dentist that offers Medicaid treatment. Patients who were treated at the clinic have praised the efforts of the team but are worried about their health and their family’s health in the future.
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I read with interest your article entitled “thousands flock to free dental clinic in Virginia” on your August 3rd posting. REMOTE AREA MEDICAL® RAM, which I founded in 1985 has done 610 of these special events, most of them here in the USA. In recent years I have had inquiries from the British media about possibly holding a free RAM dental event in the UK. Wales and Scotland seemed to be mentioned mainly as areas of need. I would be interested in your opinion on the feasibility of this, and whether American and Canadian dentists would be allowed to volunteer their free services alongside willing UK dentists?