VCU School of Dentistry students provide dental care to Virginians in need

By Tammy Pham
University News Services

Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Dentistry has teamed up with the Virginia Dental Association and the Virginia Health Care Foundation to provide care for uninsured patients who live in underserved regions of the state.

The Mission of Mercy project was launched in July 2000 to provide dental care to those who are unable to obtain care despite their needs. Mission of Mercy field clinics are set up in airports, high schools, vacant factories and fairgrounds throughout Virginia. Field clinics include portable dental chairs, dental units, X-ray machines, sterilization facilities and other professional equipment.

Since 2000, approximately 11,000 patients have been provided with more than $4.5 million worth of free dental care.

Students must apply to take part in the project and are chosen based on their clinical and teamwork skills and their ability to follow instructions. They perform the same treatments they have been trained to provide in dental school, and faculty members are on hand to supervise.

“Originally we took eight students, and each year more and more have volunteered for the opportunity,” said Carol Brooks, D.D.S., associate professor in the Department of General Practice and the school’s project coordinator.

VCU’s School of Dentistry provides everything from staffing support to transportation, and volunteers include dental students, dental hygiene students, advanced education students, faculty and staff.

“Some people describe it as 'battlefield dentistry,'” said Lori Musik, a third-year dental student and recipient of the rural dental scholarship for the past two years. “We were out in the heat for 12-13 hours with a 20-minute lunch break.”

Brooks added that the projects give students the experience of a lifetime, while helping them to better understand the nurturing side of their vocation and assisting those in need.