Local residents suffering from dental problems will have a rare chance to get free treatment this weekend.

Dental professionals from across the state are coming to town Friday to hold a two-day event offering an array of services. People can get their teeth cleaned, have cavities filled and receive other types of treatment — all at no cost.

People do not have to meet any income criteria to get care. Treatment simply will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity is reached. The goal is to treat 1,000 to 1,200 people, organizers said.

The only thing that might prevent people from getting care is if they have certain conditions that can’t be addressed in a temporary setting, officials said.

“We turn very few people away,” said Dr. Kurt Loveless, board chairman of the Texas Dental Association’s Smiles Foundation, which is sponsoring the event.

The foundation usually puts on one or two “mission of mercy” events each year, Loveless said. Locations are chosen based on interest expressed by local volunteers, he said.

In Waco’s case, efforts to bring the event here started two years ago. It was spearheaded by the McLennan County Dental Task Force, which consists of social service agencies and other groups concerned about dental care access, said member Debbie McElveen.

The foundation provides many of the resources needed for the event, such as portable dental chairs and other equipment. It also coordinates a volunteer team made up of dentists from across the state. About half of the 40 to 50 dentists expected at the event will be from that team, Loveless said.

But the local task force has had to marshal a lot of support, too, McElveen said. More than 1,000 volunteers had to be recruited, including X-ray technicians.

To help things run as efficiently as possible, agencies involved with the task force have pre-screened about 300 people who need care, McElveen said. They will get treatment first thing Friday.

Everyone else will go through a screening process once the doors open, she said.

Services offered include teeth cleaning, tooth extractions, cavity treatment and partial dentures, Loveless said.

More extensive procedures such as root canals may be available depending on which dentists come and what equipment they bring, he said.

If the event is like other missions the foundation has done across the state, the volunteers will be inundated with people seeking care, Loveless said. People usually start lining up hours before the doors open, with some driving in from long distances, he said.

“These are people who really need help,” Loveless said.

Across the country, the story is much the same, said Colleen Lampron, executive director of the National Network for Oral Health Access. People flock to free dental care events because many don’t have access to regular treatment.

Lampron’s association estimates 120 million Americans lack dental insurance. That compares with the estimated 40 million to 50 million people who don’t have medical insurance.

Even in places like Waco, where discounted dental care is available through centers that receive federal funding, there is still a big need, Lampron said. Such centers provide medical care to 19 million people, versus 3 million dental patients, she said.

Lack of dental care causes people to live with persistent pain and puts their overall health at risk, Lampron said. An increasing body of evidence links poor oral health to problems such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and pre-term birth.

National health reform will improve access some, Lampron said. Money has been allotted to allow community health centers that receive federal funding to double their dental capacity, she said.

Plus, insurance plans will have to cover oral health services for children, Lampron said. There is no such requirement for adults, she said.

cculp@wacotrib.com

757-5744

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