ROCKFORD (WREX) — Thousands of community members waited their turn over the weekend to receive essential dental care for free. It's a part of Illinois Mission of Mercy. Hundreds of volunteers traveled to Rockford to lighten the financial burden while providing bigger and brighter smiles.
With the help of more than a thousand volunteers across the state, Rockford's UW Health Sports Factory transformed from basketball courts to dental clinics.
"We have the dental chairs, we have doctor's chairs so they can sit, we have lights, we have the full suction and everything behind. All of that connects underneath and runs all the way down the line where at the end we have compressors and suction that makes it possible to provide the dental care to the patients," described Illinois Mission for Mercy Co-Chair Randall Markarian.
The biannual two-day clinic is hosted by the state's Dental Society Foundation. The goal is to give people the confidence to smile again.
"This is amazing! How can they take care of so many guys? But they are doing it," said U.S. Air-Force Veteran Denny Heins from Malta, Illinois.
Heins says while all he needs is a deep cleaning, veterans just like him aren't so lucky.
"A lot of people are really hurting for having money to spend. My wife and I talk about it because we can't do the things that we want to do because it's going to get worse," explained Heins. We have to save our pennies wherever we can."
That's exactly why Illinois Mission of Mercy opened its doors to veterans first. But one organizer says the problem runs deep with so many neglecting their teeth because of one main reason: the cost.
"Illinois's Dental Medicaid traditionally paid for a very limited set of dental care, very limited," said Markarian. "There were people who had missing teeth, or they needed root canals or other things that they couldn't afford to get the treatment for. So, they put it of, and they put it off and they put it off for years."
While Markarian says Mission of Mercy doesn't solve the issue at its core, it helps put a dent in the amount of people in Illinois who are in need of treatment.
Volunteers are inspiring the 815 through cleanings, extractions, root canals, fillings and more so patients can walk away smiling.
"It's one of the most rewarding things I can do professionally and personally," said Markarian.
We need your help honoring and recognizing people in our area who impact lives through civility. You can nominate them by filling out a form at the Inspiring 815 section.
Have a news tip or story idea? Email us at news@wrex.com
Cassandra is the morning reporter for 13 News Today. She joined the WREX team in July of 2019 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee with a major, minor and a certificate. You can contact Cassandra at cbretl@wrex.com
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