For this weekend only, Manhattan may be home to the world’s largest dentist office. The sixteenth annual Kansas Mission of Mercy is expected to provide free dental services to more than 1,400 patients by the end of the clinic on Saturday evening. The National Guard Armory was rife with excitement on Friday morning as hundreds of patients waited for their turn to see one of the 143 volunteer dentists on staff.
This is the second time the Kansas Mission of Mercy has selected Manhattan as its destination. The charity, sponsored by the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation, has previously held such clinics in Wichita, Salina, and most recently Topeka. Randy Davis, committee chairman, said Manhattan is a good place for the KMOM because it’s the center of Kansas’ population. People from all four corners of Kansas are expected to be receiving care this weekend, along with some residents of Missouri and Nebraska.
“A lot of patients need this,” said Davis. “We had patients setting up tents on Wednesday afternoon — we didn’t start seeing people ’til this [Friday] morning.”
Fillings, cleanings, and extractions are all a part of the free services offered by the Kansas Mission of Mercy. A pediatric care center was also set up, offering to give parents and children side-by-side check-ups and cleanings. Via Christi hospital staff was also present to provide education materials on oral hygiene and health.
The Mission of Mercy was made possible by $140,000 in donations through both cash and services. Davis said dentists from across the state signed up for various shifts throughout the weekend. Dental hygiene students from Manhattan Area Technical College and Wichita State University were also on staff.
While the underlying causes of oral health epidemic may be hard to trace, Davis did say rural Kansas is at a disadvantage when it comes to having accessible dental services. Many of those receiving care are also impoverished, which means affording a simple trip to the dentist’s office may be out of the budget.
“We do a lot of good-hearted work. Dentists, by nature, are good-hearted people.”
Davis said extractions and surgeries tend to be the biggest needs among those who accept care. A lack of education may be in part to blame, Davis said. Many people have rotting teeth that never receive basic care. By the time they arrive at KMOM, Davis said many people are experiencing great pain.
The Kansas Mission of Mercy is not your typical dentist office, and the atmosphere reflected that. Singing, dancing, laughter, and even snacks all lifted the atmosphere. While some were waiting for the anesthesia from their surgeries to wear off, others were able to converse and enjoy community inside the armory.
Seven hundred patients will be seen by the end of Friday, with an addition seven hundred being seen on Saturday. Davis said if more dentists would have volunteered, the Mission of Mercy could have taken more patients.
“I think it’s a good success, we’re helping a lot of people.”
