Thousands turn out for free Mission of Mercy dental clinic in the Mid-South
Thousands of people came from far and wide to benefit from free dental services provided by the Mission of Mercy in the Mid-South last weekend. Crowds started to gather on Thursday evening, with the clinic opening its doors to patients on Friday 24th January.
The demand for free dental care in the Mid-South is high, and by midday, all the allocated slots for the Friday session had been filled. Those who were still in line were encouraged to try and get an appointment on the second day, with sessions running from early in the morning on Saturday 25th January.
This was the fifth annual Mission of Mercy clinic in the region, and hundreds of volunteers offered their time and skills to provide a raft of services. Patients, many of whom had travelled long distances, were able to benefit from cleaning services, routine checks, fillings, extractions, pain relief and treatment for wisdom tooth problems and infections. The event was held at Bellevue Baptist Church.
Dr Stueart Hudsmith, founder of the Mid-South Mission of Mercy Dental Clinic, explained that anyone can find themselves in a position where they can’t afford to pay to see a dentist. With households to run and children to raise, dental treatment can be an unaffordable luxury for many, and this is why free clinics like those run by the Mission of Mercy are so crucial. Many of those who visited the church over the weekend will not have seen a dentist for years. The clinic is a means of reaching out and enabling those who don’t have insurance or the financial means to pay for dental treatment to access the services they so desperately need.
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