AMARILLO.COM: Terry Scott arrived at the Civic Center around 4:30 a.m. Friday and there were already more than 150 in line. Some had brought sleeping bags and spent the cold Thursday night waiting for the doors to open. By 9 a.m., 90 patients had come through, and 400 had been registered. Meranda Cagle, 27, arrived at 5:45 a.m.
“No words can express how grateful I am,” said Cagle, who has suffered two abscessed wisdom teeth for more than a year. “It would cost me $250 a tooth without antibiotics. I’ve got two kids. I couldn’t afford this.”
The north exhibit hall of the Civic Center was turned into a dental beehive this weekend, the country’s largest dental office. There were 44 portable chairs and units, with 99 dentists from across the state working in shifts to treat those with dental problems who can’t afford the care.
They came from not just Amarillo, but from Dallas, Houston, Austin, Lubbock, San Antonio and Mount Pleasant, paying their own way as part of the Texas Dental Association’s Smiles Foundation.
The Amarillo Texas Mission of Mercy provided dental work for many who probably have never stepped foot into a traditional dental office. It’s a unique setting, not only for these patients in need, but for the dentists and hygienists, most local and many from Amarillo College.
“I have a different face on I would say, in one of these events than in my office where I make my living,” said Dr. David Woodburn. “I don’t think of any overhead or other parts of a business when I’m here. It’s refreshing to be part of this. I love altruism and hopefully helping people in need.”
Woodburn, dental chairman of the two-day event, has participated in 20 of these Missions of Mercy across the state. Dr. Richard Smith of Amarillo has worked every event since the dental outreach began in 2001.
“We’ve been blessed with our profession. It’s been very good to us,” Smith said. “But this gives us a chance to help people we know would never see the inside of a dental office and get them out of pain. It’s the chance to make a difference in somebody’s life, that’s our motto — make a difference.”
The is the first time since its inception the Mission of Mercy has been in Amarillo. In September there was a one-day 14-chair event in Cactus, and four years ago, a two-day event in Hereford. Because of population, most events are downstate in the I-35 corridor.
“This weekend is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime event to be able to provide these services,” said Diann Gilmore, community chairwoman of the event and executive director of the Women’s Downtown Center.
Procedures performed included teeth cleaning, extractions, stainless steel crowns, some root canal therapy, and a limited number of partial dentures. For the first time in the event’s 10-year history, about eight to 10 patients were being fitted with dentures.
“We try to do as much as we can for these patients in about a 45-minute session,” Woodburn said. “Some a little more, some a little less.”
More than 1,000 people came through the Civic Center, which was opened from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, helped along by 750 volunteers. No one was turned away. The hope was that all who came for a procedure were the working poor or homeless, simply those who did not have dental insurance and can’t afford treatment.
“Most of the people we see have a very poor dental IQ,” Woodburn said. “Many of them come in with significant discomfort, swelling and pain. It’s a blessing for them and us.”
Gilmore, has seen it over and over again. When someone is just trying to scrape by to the end of the week, dental care is not even on the radar until it becomes an emergency.
“When you’re homeless and there’s no food to eat, the last thing you’re thinking about is brushing your teeth,” said Gilmore. “A lot of people go a long period of time without dental care. For the poor, it’s about the last thing they can afford.”
Untreated tooth and gum decay can lead to more serious problems, including heart disease and diabetes. Because of poor teeth and gum disease, Smith said, people will often choose softer foods to eat that tend to be high in calories and lead to excessive weight gain and high blood pressure.
“Ever have a toothache? Some of the people we saw this weekend had 10 to 12 toothaches,” Smith said. “We saw people whose oral health is just horrendous.”
Scott was one of the few receiving partial dentures. This was the only way he could obtain them.
“So many people don’t have dental insurance — I don’t,” he said. “It’s the only way I could get anything done.”
Jon Mark Beilue is a columnist at the Globe-News.
