With Mission of Mercy, we can all have a part in promoting good oral health
The Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation is hosting the annual Kansas Mission of Mercy in Wichita this year. This is a free dental clinic for any Kansan — without restrictions — and takes place July 23-24 at Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center in Bob Brown Expo Hall. Dentists, hygienists and dental assistants volunteer their time to provide patients of all ages with free fillings, extractions and dental hygiene education. Appointments aren’t needed and patients will be seen on a first come, first served basis starting at 5:30 a.m. on both days. Proper precautions for COVID-19 will be in place.
Why is oral health a top priority? The human mouth is filled with bacteria and is the entry point to the digestive and respiratory tracts. Without proper oral hygiene, tooth decay and gum disease can occur. Once bacteria enters the blood stream, it’s been known to contribute to heart disease, strokes and pneumonia, and even complicate pregnancy. It’s clear that oral health is essential to overall health and United Way of the Plains is proud to support this opportunity for so many of our neighbors who don’t have dental insurance or can’t afford regular dental services.
Since oral health is the window to overall health, we must be mindful of the barriers that may limit someone’s ability to have a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible, such as poverty, discrimination, lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments and health care. These factors can affect health and quality of life outcomes more than any other factors, and KMOM is a unique and essential opportunity to address dental issues before something preventable can lead to more serious consequences. Any Kansan can take advantage of this free dental care provided by KMOM since there are no income requirements or restrictions.
Charitable health events like KMOM help serve a vulnerable population in our city, thereby strengthening the overall health of our community. According to Oral Health Kansas, our state currently has received a grade of ‘C’ based on 13 key oral health indicators. This assessment demonstrates that despite the steps we are taking to improve oral health, some challenges remain.
This will be the KDCF’s 20th KMOM event since its inception in 2003. To date, Kansas dentists have provided 30,536 Kansans free dental care valued at more than $20 million through KMOM. It is the third project hosted in Wichita (the first in 2006 and the second in 2013). KMOM served 1,822 Wichitans in 2006 and nearly 2,000 in 2013. Because the project does not use state or federal dollars, United Way of the Plains is proud to contribute funding and supplies for this year’s event and has also helped secure volunteers. This team effort will improve the overall health of our neighbors and our community.
There are still ways to get involved in the project. If you or someone you know can benefit from the services, please visit ksdentalfoundation.org/patients for more information. Dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, dental office staff, translators and general volunteers can register online at unitedwayplains.org/KMOM or ksdentalfoundation.org/volunteers. By working together, we can all have a part in promoting good oral health that will help every citizen in south-central Kansas achieve their human potential regardless of their ability to pay.