Clinic
With a Heart shows compassion
Christy K. Robinson
 |
| Every operatory was busy with patients during Clinic With a Heart. |
In its ninth
annual Clinic With a Heart dental clinic on February 27, the School of
Dentistry provided treatment for 239 patients, for an estimated total
of $18,259 in donated services.
Over 370 students, faculty, and staff donated their skills,
time, and talents on a Sunday morning, beginning with registration at
6:00 a.m., and ending in mid-afternoon.
The tents and chairs had been set up on Friday, anticipating
that hundreds of potential Clinic With a Heart (CWAH) patients would arrive
during the chilly, dark hours before registration. Some patients said
that when they arrived at 5:30 a.m., there were already people waiting
to register. Indeed, the first patient arrived at 11:30 Saturday night,
followed by her adult son at 1:00 a.m. They huddled under blankets they’d
brought, and were grateful for the hot beverages provided before dawn.
The Dental Student Association (DSA) and the School, along
with Procter & Gamble dental products, sponsored the annual free clinic,
as a way to help those in the community who have no dental insurance or
regular dental health care. Local newspapers ran an announcement a week
before the clinic, but word of mouth was an important factor. Some patients
heard about CWAH in their churches around the Inland Empire.
Patients were examined for their dental needs and assigned to student
dentists and hygienists.
Faculty supervision and staff support made the day’s
busy activities flow smoothly.
Before patients were released, they were given information
about becoming regular patientsin the School of Dentistry clinics, plus
toothbrushes and toothpaste provided by Procter & Gamble (Crest).
This is what some of the patients had to say about Clinic
With a Heart:
• Sheri and her husband came from Parker, Arizona.
“It was really worth the trip. This is the best dental treatment
anywhere. My student dentist was great. CWAH is fantastic.”
• A Highland woman who arrived at 5:30 a.m., said,
“They filled a tooth and made it look real nice. They explained what
they were doing as they did it. They made me feel comfortable, and kept
asking how I felt. I hadn’t seen a dentist in 10 years, but my (student)
dentist was very gentle, and I’m going to start coming here as a
patient. I want her to treat me.”
• A San Bernardino man rode his bicycle from near the
old Norton Air Force Base, and arrived at the registration tent at 1:00
a.m. Sunday. “It was a little cold,” the man said, “but
I had my blanket. It was worth the wait! My dentist was really nice, and
did a real good job.”
• A Loma Linda woman praised her student hygienist,
Erin Solberg. “Erin was very considerate and checked to see if I
was comfortable.”
• A San Bernardino man and his wife had an extraction
and prophylaxis. “The dentists were very considerate about my comfort.
Everyone was very courteous.”
• “God blessed us with this free service,”
said a couple from Corona. “We haven’t seen a dentist since
we lived in Mexico. We had fillings, and no pain. The treatment was good.”
• A family from Twenty-nine Palms arrived at 5:15, having heard about CWAH from friends. The father had a broken filling fixed, avoiding a future root canal treatment, he said. The mom had a split tooth restored, and the son had two extractions. “Tonight for supper, we’re having Jello! It was great treatment, and we’d like to come back. It’s been five years since we saw a dentist.”
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