People living in or near Southwest Virginia can once again take advantage of free oral care on July 28-29 as the Mission of Mercy dental clinic returns to UVA-Wise’s Convocation Center.

Services will be offered through Mission of Mercy (MOM), a program of the Virginia Dental Association Foundation that addresses oral health needs in underserved communities and areas throughout the state by providing preventative, restorative and surgical dental care. The MOM program was created in 2000 by Dr. Terry Dickinson and over 30 states have now implemented similar models.

Dental clinic hours will take place on Friday and Saturday from 7a.m.-5 p.m. Patients are encouraged to arrive early. Pre-registration begins on Thursday, July 27 at 12 noon. Attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable clothes and to bring food and drink for the day. However, no overnight parking on the UVa-Wise campus will be allowed.

The Virginia Dental Association Foundation has provided dental services to patients seeking care in the Wise County area through the MOM program since 2000, formerly as a partner in the RAM Health Fair each July. Over the past 23 years, Mission of Mercy has served more than 24,000 patients and provided over $21.5 million in free dental care in Wise County.

This year, the program is once again hosted indoors at the UVa-Wise Convocation Center in an effort to make the dental patient experience safer and more comfortable. The Health Wagon will also be hosting its Move Mountains Medical Missions (M7) event on the same weekend at the Wise County Fairgrounds July 28-30. M7 is an annual event expanding free medical, vision, and veterinary care as well as other free goods and services. The two organizations are working together to coordinate extensive health care and supporting services to the community.

“Despite the expansion of Medicaid dental coverage to adults in 2021, many of our neighbors in Southwest Virginia have struggled with little access to oral health care”, said Virginia Dental Association Foundation executive director Tara Quinn. “Few Medicaid providers are available in the region and poor oral health is linked to chronic disease, childhood illnesses, and even lost school and work hours. We are honored to return to serve our neighbors in the Wise County area again this year and are grateful for the many volunteers and supporters that power the MOM program.” 

The Virginia Dental Association Foundation expects more than 300 dentists, dental professionals and support volunteers from the Virginia Dental Association, VCU School of Dentistry and the community to participate in the two-day event.

The Virginia Dental Association Foundation has focused on Mission of Mercy as an important tool for addressing the need for access to free oral health care. The program has provided dental procedures for more than 70,000 low-income individuals since its inception.