Andrew Williams lined up outside of the Allentown Agri-Plex center at 5:45 a.m. Friday.
After attending MOM-n-PA’s free dental clinic, Williams, 65, of Allentown, said he would be smiling for the rest of the day.
Though Williams said he initially came to the clinic because he wanted to take care of his teeth, he left with his faith in dentists restored.
“She didn’t make me feel like I was just a number,” Williams said. “They make you feel like a family there.”
MOM-n-PA, a nonprofit dedicated to providing dental services to underserved Pennsylvanians, is hosting its 10th annual dental clinic Friday and Saturday at the Allentown Fairgrounds, with doors opening at 6 a.m. both days.
By 10 a.m. on the first day of the clinic, Gary Davis, the general chair of MOM-n-PA, said over 300 people had come to receive dental services, and he anticipated 1,500 people would receive care this year.
In the nine years of running the clinic, Davis said only one in three people that come have a regular dentist, and 40% report being in pain.
“That’s why we’re here,” Davis said. “We’re here to help.”
This year, the clinic received 950 volunteers, enough to see up to 1,000 people per day, according to Davis.
Kathy McAdoo, a registered dental hygienist, said this is her eighth year volunteering at MOM-n-PA’s clinic.
McAdoo, of Philadelphia, said she has “a strong opinion that you have to give back to the community.”
Having worked as a verifier for the first day of the clinic, McAdoo said the barriers families face when receiving dental care might not always be financial.
Sometimes, she said, people lack transportation, dental insurance or the education to know how important their teeth are.
“There’s a great need for dental care in the community,” McAdoo said. “Your teeth are not just sticking in your mouth, they’re really a part of your overall health.”
Glen Schucker, a first-time attendee who came because he hadn’t had a teeth cleaning in a while, said he was very impressed with the clinic.
Schucker, 53, of Allentown said it looked chaotic at first, but it’s well organized and the people at the clinic “hold your hand and walk you from one spot to the next.”
“If you don’t have a toothache or you’re not in pain, there’s always something you’d rather spend that money on,” Schucker said. “Money is strained, you can’t pay for everything.”
The clinic has a total of 34 departments and when patients show up, they fill out a patient registration form, answer a survey about pain, see medical and dental triage, receive an oral exam and then are sent to the patient waiting area to eventually be treated.
No ID, proof of insurance or residence is necessary upon registering, according to Davis, and there are language translators present on site.
Davis said the clinic goes to different cities every year; the last time they were in Allentown was 2014.
“Wherever there’s need, that’s where we go,” he said.
The mission of MOM-n-PA is to take care of the dental needs of the underserved and to help people find a dental home, according to Davis.
Since 2013, MOM-n-PA has partnered with United Concordia Dental and the Highmark Foundation to provide dental treatment on a first-come, first-served basis at no cost to community members who can’t afford dental care.
Susan Rotzal, a dentist volunteer at the event, said this is her fourth year volunteering at MOM-n-PA because she enjoys giving back.
“If you’re given the gifts and the opportunities, you need to pay it forward,” Rotzal said. “The purpose is to give back to the community, especially those who don’t have dental insurance or access to dental care.”
Cheryl Heck said she traveled three hours from Mansfield, Tioga County, to volunteer at the clinic.
Heck, a dental front office volunteer, said she worked at a Mission of Mercy dental clinic last year and had such a fun time, she wanted to work at another one.
Donna Spaar has been volunteering at MOM-n-PA’s dental clinic for six years, and she said she can tell the people are very appreciative of their services.
Spaar, a registered dental hygienist from Reading, said she hopes people can realize how easy it is to have a healthy mouth with proper instruction and learn how to prevent problems.
Whether it’s costly for patients or there are insurance issues, Heck said “it’s harder and harder to get in for dental treatment these days” and she wishes she had a clinic like this back home.
“To help these people and they walk out smiling, I have goosebumps,” Spaar said. “They come here in pretty bad shape and they walk out grateful with a smile on their face, that’s huge.”
Having come to the clinic today, Schucker said, “This is a real relief for a lot of people.”
