The Arkansas Mission of Mercy is an annual two-day free dental clinic sponsored by the Arkansas State Dental Association for those in Arkansas who can't afford dental care or dental insurance. All services are provided free of charge by members of the Arkansas State Dental Association who are assisted by hundreds of volunteers. The 2013 Arkansas Mission of Mercy will be held on May 31 and June 1 at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
Since the annual event was started in 2007, over 8,084 patients have been seen in only ten total days. The number of dental procedures performed has been phenomenal: 15,967 extractions of bad teeth, and 7,738 fillings and other restorations. These donated procedures were worth an estimated $4 million.
The event provides dental care for the relief of pain to residents of Arkansas who can't afford dental care and don't have Arkansas dental insurance. Most of the participants are from working families who do not have access to dental care. The majority of these patients might otherwise have no hope of receiving care if it wasn't for the generosity of the sponsors of this annual event.
