Volunteers provide free dental care for hundreds in North Carolina
Volunteers provided free dental care for hundreds of people in North Carolina recently.
A team of 45 dentists was joined by hygienists, nurses and therapists, as well as general volunteers, to host more than 600 patients at the Mission of Mercy in Gastonia. Over the course of two days, hundreds of people received free dental treatment thanks to the generosity of local dental professionals and volunteers who had given up their time to help with organising the event.
The demand for appointments was very high and some people queued for several hours overnight to secure a spot at the front of the line. Patients came from far and wide, and by Friday morning, there was a huge queue. Appointments were allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Blake Ledford was one of around 600 people to benefit from the event. He had suffered from dental pain for two years due to infections and abscesses when he arrived at the Mission of Mercy clinic in Gastonia. After having three teeth removed, Blake said that he was “extremely happy” and described the team as “angels.”
Dr Hannah Smith, a paediatric dentist from Kintegra Pediatric Dentistry, Gastonia, said that the Mission of Mercy events are so successful because of a collective desire to help people. North Carolina, like most states, doesn’t have enough dentists to cater to everyone and in some counties, there are no dentists. Free events make it possible for those who can’t get an appointment and patients who can’t afford treatment to get the help they need.
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