School of Dentistry shows compassion in free clinic

Every operatory was busy with patients during Clinic With a Heart. In addition, the pediatric dentistry clinic treated 38 young patients.

In its ninth annual Clinic With a Heart free dental clinic held February 27, the School of Dentistry provided treatment for 239 patients, worth $18,259 in services

The Dental Student Association and the School, along with Procter & Gamble, sponsored the annual free clinic to help those in the community who have no dental insurance or regular dental health care.

More than 370 students, faculty, and staff donated their skills on Sunday morning, beginning with registration at 6:00 a.m., and ending in mid-afternoon.

Two hundred twenty-three radiographs were taken as part of the screening process, and dental students made 93 extractions and 105 fillings. Dental and dental hygiene students performed 118 prophylaxes, including routine cleanings and root planings. All procedures were supervised by faculty and volunteer dentists.

Tents and chairs were set up on Friday, anticipating that hundreds of Clinic With a Heart (CWAH) patients would arrive during the chilly, dark hours before registration. Campus engineering donated their facilities to shelter the patients. Some patients said that when they arrived at 5:30 a.m., people were already 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 chocolate provided before dawn.