Hundreds come for free dental care on first day of Mission of Mercy in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - An army of volunteer dentists, hygienists and dental assistants took over the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Cedar Rapids Friday. They brought with them 100 portable dental chairs, dozens of boxes full of dental equipment and x-ray machines - all delivered by a semi truck the day before.

And when the doors opened at 6 a.m. on Friday for the Iowa Dental Association's Mission of Mercy, there already were several hundred people from around Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin waiting for dental care.

The two-day community dental clinic - put on each year by the Iowa Dental Association - provides free care to low-income Iowans.

'The first person showed up in line at 8:30 (Thursday) morning,” said Kathy Salisbury, Iowa Dental Foundation program manager. 'There were 10 people in line by about 5 p.m.”

Doors will open again at 6 a.m. on Saturday, and patients will be seen until 6 p.m. or 7 p.m., said Marty Averill, a retired dentist from Waterloo who has participated in every Iowa Mission of Mercy.

People come from far and wide, camp overnight or show up before the sun is close to rising to get free extractions, fillings, dental cleanings and removable tooth replacements. In the event's 10-year history, the dental association has provided $8.5 million worth of free dental care to about 13,000 low-income individuals.

'This is just a beautiful thing,” said Donna Hanson of Solon, who arrived at 6 a.m. Friday to stand in line. Hanson needed several teeth pulled and cavities filled.

She stays home to care for her grandchildren and doesn't have dental insurance.

She typically goes to the University of Iowa's dental college to receive lower cost care - something she did about a month ago to have some teeth pulled. But the trip still cost her around $300.

'I was saving little bits so I could go down there,” she said. But the Mission of Mercy event will 'save her a bundle.”

The Iowa Dental Foundation - the not-for-profit arm of the Iowa Dental Association - works each year to raise $300,000 in in-kind and financial donations to put on the event.

The dental clinic takes place in a different Iowa city each year, organizers noted, and the average patient will travel between one and two hours to receive services.

Iowa was one of the few states in the country to offer dental services to the Medicaid expansion population through the Dental Wellness Program, but it's still difficult for low-income adults to find and afford dental care. Instead, they'll let their dental needs fall by the wayside and wind up in the emergency room - a far more costly place for care.

'This event won't solve the dental need in Iowa - but Iowa dentists are working to do their part,” said Dr. Rich Bokemper, a Sergeant Bluff-based dentist and president of the dental association.

He's participated in seven out of the 10 Mission of Mercy events.

'It brings a smile to your face. You work your tail off, but it brings a smile to your face,” Bokemper said.

Volunteers are likely to see more than 1,000 patients by the end of the two-day clinic. It takes a full day to set up equipment and chairs and several hours to take everything down.

Averill, of Waterloo, remembers the first one for which he ever volunteered - there was a woman who needed to have some oral surgery. Averill likes to joke around with patients to help ease the tension, and he spent a good deal of time messing with her to calm her down before the procedure.

When she was done, she came out and gave him a gigantic bear hug.

'I've learned a lot of people are in dire pain - more pain than you think,” he said.

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