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Dr. Lee Hinson of Little Rock was one of dozens of dentists on hand to treat scores of uninsured patients for the 2008 Mission of Mercy on May 2 and 3 at the Statehouse Convention Center.

In just its second year of operation, the Arkansas Mission of Mercy (ArMOM) has harnessed the healing hands of many Arkansas dentists. At the two-day event, held May 2-3 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, scores of underserved patients received free dental care by dozens of Arkansas dentists and health professionals.

Although a number of charitable dental clinics around the state serve the uninsured year round, the 2008 ArMOM was the largest single charitable dental event in state history. Plans for the 2009 event, calling for even more dentists, hygienists, physicians, nurses and other health professionals are already under way.

Mission of Mercy (MOM), a movement initiated by the Virginia Health Foundation in 2001, tackles the problem of missed dental care for the nation’s working poor and uninsured. Oftentimes, those in these categories earn too much income to be insured through Medicaid, yet too little to afford dental care, an insurance option often not offered on the job.

The number of American citizens who fall into this category is astounding. When Edie Mauldin, executive director of the Arkansas State Dental Association (ASDA), heard about MOM projects in Virginia and Kansas, she knew Arkansas needed an MOM of its own and presented the idea to the ASDA Executive Council.

Soon after, in Sept. 2006, Dr. Miranda Childs of Arkadelphia was on board as chair of the event. “We had a funding commitment from Delta Dental, and the city of Little Rock was on board with the facility. So, I volunteered to head the committee up,” said Childs, who was motivated to commit to MOM from her past experience doing medical missions work. “I have done mission projects in other countries and knew the need was just as great in our own state. If I could volunteer in other countries I could here also,” she said.

When Mauldin and Childs visited their first MOM event in Kansas, they were shocked by the number of people in need of dental care. “We took one look (at the crowd in Kansas) and thought, ‘We can’t do this!’” admitted Mauldin. “But once we saw how the system works and how smooth the operation can be with all the right players giving 110 percent, we realized that it’s amazing what can get done.”

One of the players in Arkansas was dentist Lee Hinson. He volunteered his time to perform oral surgery on patients in need. Like Mauldin, Hinson was impressed with how efficient a MOM event can be. “Because it’s such a logistically organized project, it is an easy way to help a whole lot of people at one time, and that’s so rewarding,” he said.

Organizing between Patients
The planning for this year’s ArMOM started the Sunday after last year’s mission was over.

In its first year, the 70-chair ArMOM clinic served 1,550 patients.

This year, the event was larger, with event officials having to turn away patients as early as 10 a.m. Friday. Although exact numbers were not known by press time, Mauldin earlier said that more than 2,000 Arkansans were expected to attend.

Even with tornadoes touching down in various parts of the state, Arkansans stood in a line that trailed downtown Little Rock from Markham to Main and Scott streets beginning as early as 4 a.m. Friday. National Guard volunteers began manning event posts at 4 p.m. Thursday in preparation for the crowd. Volunteers counted the first 400 in line and, depending on the severity of the cases among those 400, started taking in additional patients 200 at a time.

“We know how many seats we have, and once we get those filled we start triaging,” explained Mauldin. “Our volunteer dentists are not doing typical dentistry. Every case that’s here is serious. So, we have to observe the pace at which patients are being treated before we start admitting more patients.”
To get an event of such magnitude organized so efficiently, Childs spent a lot of time taking care of event details while in between patients at her own busy Arkadelphia dental practice.

“Life is extremely busy, but if we don’t step up and volunteer, who will help?” said Childs. “Knowing I made a difference in patients’ lives is worth more than the money and time sacrificed. The feeling I get knowing how many people we relieved of pain this weekend will make up for all sacrifices.”

Falling through the Cracks
Mauldin suggests that even those not helping to plan or volunteer for ArMOM can help forward its cause by undertaking another mission — advocacy for oral health.

“Last year, dental healthcare was revoked for mid- to low-level state employees,” said Mauldin. “This action points to the need for the medical community to work together in emphasizing the importance of oral health to our contacts in the business world. If the message comes from us, it may be heard louder and make a larger impact,” Mauldin said. She said that one practical move the healthcare community could use to make a positive impact is to contact local legislators to advocate for the reinstatement of dental insurance for all state employees.

The lack of dental insurance or access to dental care among Arkansans extends far beyond just state employees. One retired army veteran, who wishes to remain anonymous, waited for three hours to receive relief from his oral pain. Waiting in line to have seven bottom front teeth pulled to make room for dentures, he expressed the need for ArMOM even by veterans. “I’m a veteran and can’t get seen at the VA because I’m not service connected,” he explained.

Also among those waiting to be seen was Monticello native Glanolia Ingram, who heard about ArMOM while watching the news with her niece during a visit to Little Rock. “I was up here visiting, and when I saw (an ArMOM advertisement on television), I asked where it was and how to get there,” said Ingram, who, due to unemployment, has been unable to afford the extractions necessary to correct a painful dental problem of seven years. “I have started getting some of the teeth I need removed taken out, but couldn’t afford it all and had to stop. I’m hoping to have the opportunity to get the rest of the extractions done today,” she said.

Clinics Address the Need Year Round
Across the state, charitable dental clinics serve Arkansans who cannot afford dental care year round.

In southeast Arkansas, Daughters of Charity Services (DCS), funded by the Daughters of Charity Foundation, operates two clinics — one in Dumas and one in Gould — that serve uninsured and underserved patients on a 200 percent sliding scale.

“Our dentist says he sees generations of oral neglect every day. The poor and underserved do not have the monies for preventative dentistry,” said Jeanne Richards, president and CEO of DCS. As a healthcare foundation, DCS promotes holistic health and includes oral healthcare as a paramount component of its approach.

“Complications from oral disease affect every system of the human body. Inflammation, infection and disease spread and can have devastating health consequences. Poor dental health equals poor nutritional status equals poor general health,” said Richards.

DCS clinics offer general dentistry, as well as extractions and pain management, for those suffering from years of dental neglect. Richards especially encourages Arkansas dentists who already participate in missions work to consider Arkansas before venturing overseas.

“Years ago, it was noticed that many of our uninsured patients were suffering with horrific oral disease. In fact, the executive director at that time stated she saw worse dental health issues in southeast Arkansas than she had seen as a medical missionary in Africa,” said Richards. “Every year dental healthcare professionals travel on their time and money to the ‘ends of the earth’ to deliver much-needed services. There are people in their respective communities who share the same plight.”

Another source of relief soon to be offered to the uninsured may be found in the state’s upcoming Adult Dental Medicaid program, which will cover extractions, dentures and preventative care. Assistant director of the state’s Medicaid program, Marilyn Strickland, said that director Roy Jeffus has been adamant about adding oral healthcare as a part of the state’s plan. “We felt it was necessary to offer oral health as a part of our services, because it is a necessary part of taking care of the whole person,” said Strickland. “Right now, we are working with the dental association and ironing out the kinks of the program to have it ready to launch later this year.”

Doctors, Medical Professionals Needed
The comprehensiveness of an ArMOM event requires help from the entire medical community.

This year’s volunteers reported that they found great reward in sacrificing their Friday and Saturday to help Arkansans in need. First-time volunteer Carolyn Gates, office assistant for Dr. Mike Brown, a Newport dentist, was one such volunteer. “I was surprised by the magnitude of the operation,” she said. “I could definitely see that I was needed since even with the numbers of volunteers on hand this year, we definitely needed more volunteers to be able to serve more people.”

Since many of the patients seen are already medically compromised, ArMOM also needs volunteers in nursing and general practice to staff both a medical triage and a dental triage. Volunteers are also needed to serve at intake to ensure that patients are healthy enough to undergo anesthesia and surgery.

Prescriptions for antibiotics require counseling from someone qualified to discuss proper dosages with patients. Furthermore, because of the possible complications that could arise with some of the more serious cases, a volunteer physician is needed on hand at all times.

In addition to volunteers, local healthcare entities are also supporting ArMOM. Along with Delta Dental of Arkansas, the Arkansas Pharmacy Association was on board to make ArMOM a success. Arkansas Children’s Hospital, whose support has made a significant impact on this year’s event, was also among supporters. “We were really excited to get Children’s on board. They donated equipment necessary for a pediatric section,” said Mauldin. “Scott Gordon, COO of Children’s, was very supportive and wants to know how to help more next year.”

“There really is something for everyone in healthcare,” said Hinson, who challenges physicians to find similar opportunities in their profession. “I enjoy surgery, and when that first patient at 5 o’clock in the morning hugged my neck for doing what I enjoy, I knew I was here for all the right reasons,” said Hinson.



June 2008

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