Seems like anytime you hear a 100+ year old person being interviewed about the secret to long life they say “take care of your teeth and feet and drink cod liver oil”. For good reason. Good oral health is critical to a person’s overall health. Tooth decay and gum disease are linked with heart disease, stroke and diabetes, and premature births. Many people in our community can’t afford dental care, so they suffer from poor oral health that affects their ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch and eat. That’s why the Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy is such an important event for Arizona.
The event provides free dental services to people in need. Last year about 2,000 people were able to get services. This year’s Mission of Mercy takes place December 13 and 14 at the Arizona Fairgrounds. There’ll be about 100 portable dental units and 1,500 volunteers that will provide more than $1M in free care to children and adults.
We’re supporting the event through Title V funds and several of our staff volunteered to provide health information about our programs and services to the patients. Thanks to Sheila Sjolander, Wayne Tormala, Jennifer Botsford, Tiana Galindo, Mary Luc, Cristina Ochoa, Margaret Lindsay, Anita Betancourt, Kimberly O’Neill, Mohammed Khan, Sharon Jaycox, Karen Sell, America Coles, Mary Ellen Cunningham, Belen Herner, Matthew Roach, Brandy McMahon, Blanca Caballero, Michael Abbott, Julia Wacloff, and Chris Minnick for volunteering for the event.
Also, thanks to Maricopa County Public Health for providing flu vaccinations to participants- and a huge thanks to Kevin Earle, the Executive Director of the Arizona Dental Association for his leadership in setting up this year’s Mission.
Gum illnesses are generally serious illnesses, such as gum disease and Periodontal, that attack the gum area. If neglected, these gum illnesses can distribute around other areas of the mouth and lead to the loss of tooth or tooth. A periodontal disease is disease that is serious and impacts both the gum area and the bone that facilitates the tooth. It first starts with the existence of viruses in the oral plaque, which is that without color movie that types on your tooth every now and then, cause the gum to experience some amount of inflammation.