Photos: Record number of patients receive free dental care
Published on Monday, February 12, 2018
The second-annual Dental Mission Week at the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry kicked off Feb. 5 with Give Kids A Smile Day. More than 500 children from public elementary schools in Jackson and the Stewpot After-School Program received free dental care valued at $117,465.
Volunteers from across the UMMC campus, including the Schools of Nursing, Pharmacy and Medicine, helped provide care to more than 1,000 underserved and uninsured Mississippians throughout the week. In collaboration with the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Medical Center, the school provided free care to more than 200 veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces on Feb. 8.
More than 4,000 dental procedures were performed in five short days.
Anna Nix, a pediatric resident, coaches Jamarion Ricks, a Johnson Elementary School student, to open his mouth wide during an exam while Burke Ellzey, a second-year dental student, assists.
State Sen. Hillman Frazier, center, looks on as Jolie Nguyen, left, a fourth-year dental student, and Scarlett Woods, a second-year dental student, treat Khloe Bailey, a Johnson Elementary School student.
Nguyen polishes Bailey's teeth while Woods assists.
In medical triage, Lydia Nunes, a first-year medical student, takes a medical history from Treance Hobbs of Pearl.
Charles Davis, a Vietnam veteran from Greenwood, checks out his new filling.
Garrett Wright, a pharmacy student, and Shelby Cranfield, a pharmacy resident, prepare medications for the dental patients.
Katy Chmelicek, a student in the accelerated B.S.N. program in the School of Nursing, checks Billy Ray McDonald's blood pressure in the medical triage station. The Patients' temperature, blood sugar and blood pressure were assessed before they received dental care.
Grant Differ, a third-year dental student, prepares Army veteran Tommye Richardson of Jackson for a filling.
Gatlin Glover, a fourth-year dental student, begins initial work on one of 46 arches of dentures completed during Dental Mission Week.
Andrew Harris, a fourth-year dental student, works with Catherine Holmes, center, a second-year dental student, and Nikki Morel, a second-year dental student, to begin the wax build-up stage of denture creation.
Ruthie Green, a U.S. Army veteran from Jackson, receives a dental cleaning from students Annalee Jaggars, left, and Addie Springs.
Green shows her beautiful smile and Mardis Gras spirit during Dental Mission Week.