Free dental events and help in the US

[krlovesherkids777]

Wanted to put this free dental resource out there for those in the US that are having difficulty affording care. There are various locations in different parts of the US..

I was a part of this last year, as a dental phobic, I wanted to give back and although I don't have any training in dental I wanted to somehow encourage others and I have years of patient care experience so gave it a shot.. What I found was really life changing.. Yes, you have to wait in lines and sometimes for hours.. but. some got dental work done they couldn't afford in years, cleaning, fillings, root canals, extractions, partials to start with. What I saw was a LOT of compassion and care from these dentists and hygienists and assistants who donated their time and materials for 2 days to give people free dental work. It was so amazing to be a part of but a lot of people brought whole families and just saved a ton of money on dental care. There are many dentists that are a part, so. disclaimer not knowing each one, we may not know how familiar they are with dental anxiety from dentist to dentist, and they don't have a lot of extra time to allow for deep discussions of this.. but that being said.. if you are interested... This is an excellent resource. These are just the ones coming up soonest I will add more as I find them. The dentists and staff I talked with were all very interested in helping those with dental anxiety and were non-shaming and blaming was a big focus. We saw people who just didn't have money to others who had never been to the dentist or others who hadn't been for decades. so anyone is welcome!! it is a FREE service... They will not give out a prescription for any heavy meds though so if you do have heavier work you will need to go to a dr or hospital should you need anything heavier.

New Mexico Mission of Mercy, Los Cruces NM May 3-4.... this weekend... not too late it is first come first serve free dental care. [broken link removed]

Arizona Mission of Mercy: https://azdacares.org/mission-of-mercy/

Pennsylvania and Maryland Mission of Mercy: https://www.amissionofmercy.org/maryland-pennsylvania/our-services/

Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas Mission of Mercy:
https://www.midsouthmissionofmercy.org/

 

[Enarete]

This is amazing, thank you so much for sharing, krlovesherkids777! Sounds like a beautiful experience and a lot of people receiving dental care they otherwise wouldn't be able to get...

Would it be an idea to make this sticky, @letsconnect ?

 

[Sol]

Maybe just a general sticky for organizations in the US that provide free dental care for those in need?

Remote Area Medical (RAM) - Based in Tennessee. Many of their clinics are in surrounding states but they do sometimes travel to other parts of the US. The majority of their clinics offer medical, dental and vision services but check their website for details.
https://www.ramusa.org/clinic-schedule/

Adopt a Vet - Nevada (NV) - Dentist provide care on a pro-bono basis for veterans who cannot otherwise receive care through the Veterans Administration.
https://adoptavetdental.com/

Health and Human Services (HHS) - Suggestions for finding low cost care in the US.
https://www.hhs.gov/answers/health-care/where-can-i-find-low-cost-dental-care/index.html

 

[Dg6300]

If I may, low cost dental care in Northeast Ohio.

Case Western:

https://case.edu/dental/patients-clinics/becoming-a-patient

CWRU has community days at least annually. Here is an overview of the most recent:

https://thedaily.case.edu/case-western-reserve-university-to-offer-annual-free-dental-exams-jan-11/

These are some of the finest dental students in the entire world.

Lakeland Community College

https://www.lakelandcc.edu/web/about/rights-clinic-dental#fee

At $25 this is a great deal. Were I to lose my dental insurance this would be the first place I'd go. I went there five years ago, and they are great. Really caring.

Summary

Much like the current Browns, 2000s Cavs, and late 80s Indians, even if things are difficult and bad now, Believeland is the home of doers and overcomers. We can turn this around.

 

[letsconnect]

Please keep adding your suggestions/resources - the thread has been marked for making it a sticky (or similar!)

 

[Sol]

Would also say pay attention to local news, they usually advertise when there are free clinics. It seems like most larger communities have colleges, organizations or local dental offices that offer free days.

Eldercare Locator - Helps connect seniors with local resources for health, housing, care giving, transportation, etc. There is a 800 phone number available. If you search the site by zip code it will list local offices that can help people connect with local resources.
https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx

211 - Service provided by the United Way charity. Use the website to find your state's website/phone number to locate local clinics or programs that offer free dental services.

https://www.211.org

Health Center - Partly funded by the Federal Government, these clinics offer medical services (dental, pharmacy, mental health, etc. at some locations) to undeserved populations. The clinics provide services regardless of patients’ ability to pay and charge for services on a sliding fee scale.
https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/

 

[MagnetoWasRight]

My dentist John Seitz does a free dental day every year for people with emergencies that otherwise couldn't afford treatment

His free dental day is usually in February, so it's already happened this year, but it's something to keep in mind if you find yourself in a bad situation around that time of year.
He's located in Arkansas city, Kansas. Search for Ark City Dental.

He's great with nervous patients!

 

[Cat Mom]

I have one for Salem, Oregon - Salem Alliance Church runs Free Clinics off Broadway Street, and offers a medical and dental clinic. The dental clinic does mostly extractions and cleanings. Chemeketa Community College also does at-cost tooth cleanings and minor fillings.

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Here are some more upcoming free Mission of Mercy dental events.. Great events with really caring dentists and staff that really have the heart to help. Free care, Plan on spending several hours or the day.. but. a free dental care care is totally worth it if you have the time, some locations even have root canals and limited partials!

Pittsburgh PA

DATE: Friday, July 26th and Saturday, July 27th, 2019
TIME: Doors open at 6:00 AM, Clinic opens at 7:00 AM
LOCATION: Highmark Gate at PPG Paints Arena, 1001 5th Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
https://mompgh.org/patient-info/

If you are in the area there may still be time for today, just saw but still the rest of today.

Missouri Mission of Mercy
Aug. 16, 2019
St. Joseph, MO
St. Joseph Civic Center

Usually there is more information on hours but I can't find them. usually its about 6am-3:30pmish.

August 23 - 24, 2019, New Bern, NC
Garber United Methodist Church
4201 County Club Road

October 18 - 19, 2019, Charlotte, NC
Bojangles Coliseum
2700 E Independence Blvd

https://ncmom-charlotte.com/clinic-schedule/ The info on exact schedule is not up yet but here is the link to keep checking.

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Here is a highly recommended one in MN , Has a great reputation for really treating patients with kindness and respect and getting them out of pain.

I actually heard about it through a cashier at my local Walgreens for several weeks I'd go in to get odds and ends and the cashier looked like was in some major pain, each time complaining of tooth pain and how the dental was costing so much and kept just getting worse. A few weeks later he looked much happier, I asked about his dental he told me. Hope Dental is the best place you can go. they are so kind and its cheap. They only ask a 20.00 administrative fee. They are open Monday through Thursday most weeks but also have weekend events. They do cleaning, exams, fillings, extractions, basic work. Definitely sounds worth a shot.

https://www.hopedentalclinic.org/

 

[Sol]

Dental Lifeline Network
An organization designed to help people who cannot afford care and meet the conditions below:

• Have a permanent disability OR
• Are elderly OR
• People who are medically fragile OR
• Veterans

Check your state at the website below.
***In some states they are not accepting new patients or only take new patients in certain counties because the need is greater than the number of volunteer dentists available.

https://dentallifeline.org/

 

[Chromashadows]

I'm sure tons of us in the USA would be beyond appreciative of a free dental implants weekend. I don't trust dentures to be honest as I hear you can't eat much except soft foods/puree foods and the annoyance of having to remove them every night. If anything I wish free clinics could do two implants to offer permanent locked in dentures or however lock in dentures work. A full mouth of implants WOULD add up if many got them for free so it'd be more efficient to offer snap on dentures. Jmo of course.

 

[BoxerMom]

I'm sure tons of us in the USA would be beyond appreciative of a free dental implants weekend. I don't trust dentures to be honest as I hear you can't eat much except soft foods/puree foods and the annoyance of having to remove them every night. If anything I wish free clinics could do two implants to offer permanent locked in dentures or however lock in dentures work. A full mouth of implants WOULD add up if many got them for free so it'd be more efficient to offer snap on dentures. Jmo of course.

Yeah, I don’t know who’s telling you that you can only eat soft or puréed food with dentures but that’s just not true. Yes initially when all the teeth are removed and the temporary dentures are placed, soft foods are all you can eat. But once the stitches are removed and they’ve been relined, you can eat all kinds of foods. It is a learning curve, and a lot of the process depends on your attitude and outlook. If you don’t want to learn, you won’t, and you’ll be miserable. As for implants, yes they stabilize the plates and do not require that they be removed every night. But they are expensive, and not covered by insurance. Four implants is what my dentist wants to do for the top and four for the bottom. $2600 x 8 = $20000+ and that doesn’t include any sedation. Implants will never be offered for free because they are not a necessity. Millions of people live without them.