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Dental Care - A Critical Need
Republished by David Bruce Jr.
The recent shocking death of 12 year-old
Marylander, Deamonte Driver, which was caused
by an abscessed tooth, has re-emphasized the
critical need for the dental care provided in the
Maryland/Pennsylvania region by Mission of Mercy.
Deamonte was a resident of Prince George’s
County, which is far from A Mission of Mercy ’s
nearest clinic site. But his story resonates at
Mission of Mercy, where dental patients often
camp out with sleeping bags and tents in order to
secure one of the seven to nine slots available each
clinic day.
In 2006, Mission of Mercy treated 754 dental
patients at 1,033 visits. Each visit consisted of an
average of four free dental procedures (fillings or
extractions), performed by a licensed, volunteer
dentist, for a total of 4,028 procedures this year.
Patients also received free prescription medications,
predominately for pain relief and infection, as part
of their care. A limited number of patients also
received free treatment by oral surgeons, in the
community, who partner with Mission of Mercy.
Most of Mission of Mercy’s dental patients (89%)
were without any type of insurance. Of the 11%
of patients that did have some type of health
insurance, 6% had Medicaid and/or Medicare,
which offers oral healthcare. For the patients that
we treat, Mission of Mercy is truly the only option
of dental care for them.
Mission of Mercy gratefully
acknowledges Delta Dental, The
Marion I. and Henry J. Knott
Foundation, Dr. George Waxter
(Community Champion Award), The
Frank H. and Ruth Wells Foundation,
United Concordia, and others for
their dedicated support of Mission of
Mercy’s dental program in 2006.
Mission of Mercy, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, seeks to restore dignity to all people by being an instrument of "healing through love". based on an innovative volunteer-based model, M of M is able to treat large numbers of patients with active and retired medical professionals
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