America's Dentists Care Foundation Missions of Mercy (ADCF MOM) is an IRS designated 501(c)(3) public charity. All donations are tax deductible.
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FAQs
| Frequently asked questions and responses are provided. If you have a question and the answer is not provided below, please contact us with your question. |
Q. What is a “Mission of Mercy”
(or MOM)?
While there are other Missions of Mercy around the country, ours is a gathering of volunteer dental professionals who along with a volunteer staff of several hundred hold free, two day dental clinics at locations around the country.
These are only a few examples of the experiences we have seen at MOM events over the past few years:
- A line a quarter mile long in Kansas City waiting as temperatures rose above 100 degrees.
- Families sleeping overnight on concrete in Little Rock in order to be assured of needed treatment.
- Hundreds standing in a western Kansas blizzard all night, many wrapped in only blankets, awaiting care.
- A Colorado family planning to sleep in their car arrived at midnight the night before. They were 200th in line.
Q. What is a MOM event like?
Every event takes on its own personality, however there are some common traits:
Every event takes on its own personality, however there are some common traits:
- over 100 volunteer dental professionals
- several hundred lay-volunteers
- lines of patients forming in the middle of the night
- all services provided on a first come first serve basis
- doors open at 5:00 AM and close normally a few hours later as the facility fills up with patients
- about 1,000 patients a day will be treated
Q. What states are involved?
Many states host Mission of Mercy events each year. Virginia and Texas run multiple events each year. Visit the Find an Event page to see when an event will be hosted near you.
Many states host Mission of Mercy events each year. Virginia and Texas run multiple events each year. Visit the Find an Event page to see when an event will be hosted near you.
Q. Where can a schedule of events be found?
See the schedule on our website (Find an Event) or visit the website of a participating MOM state (see links under Find an Event).
See the schedule on our website (Find an Event) or visit the website of a participating MOM state (see links under Find an Event).
Q. What are the first steps in organizing an event?
- Contact us and request a manual.
- Get your State Dental Association involved
- Discuss the possibility with other dental professionals
- Consider fund raising, and volunteer enlistment
- Consider facility availability
- Form a feasibility committee
- Request a date on the national schedule
Q. Do the dentists (and assistants) get paid?
No. This is a 100% volunteer operation.
No. This is a 100% volunteer operation.
Q. Can anyone volunteer to help?
Dental professionals travel from all over the country to attend and participate at MOM events not even in their own home state. If you would like to volunteer for an event, please visit the Volunteer page for more information.
Dental professionals travel from all over the country to attend and participate at MOM events not even in their own home state. If you would like to volunteer for an event, please visit the Volunteer page for more information.
Q. What is the role of the America’s Dentists Care Foundation?
We are a non-profit organization dedicated to providing and maintaining all the equipment necessary to put on a “MOM” event. In addition, we provide the methods for organizing the volunteers necessary to treat 2,000 patients over a two-day span and the expertise to organize, set-up, run, and tear-down the event.
We are a non-profit organization dedicated to providing and maintaining all the equipment necessary to put on a “MOM” event. In addition, we provide the methods for organizing the volunteers necessary to treat 2,000 patients over a two-day span and the expertise to organize, set-up, run, and tear-down the event.
Q. What is the cost?
There is no cost to the patient, no insurance form, nothing. It is free.
There is no cost to the patient, no insurance form, nothing. It is free.
Q. Who pays for everything?
The dental organizations of the state where the event is held raise private donations to cover all the costs.
Donations may come in the form of funds; supplies; donated meals and/or snacks; tables and chairs; badges, forms; and a variety of other support items.
If you'd like to donate to an event, click here.
The dental organizations of the state where the event is held raise private donations to cover all the costs.
Donations may come in the form of funds; supplies; donated meals and/or snacks; tables and chairs; badges, forms; and a variety of other support items.
If you'd like to donate to an event, click here.
Q. What services are provided?
This may vary slightly but cleanings, fillings, extractions, some oral surgery, root canals (at some locations) denture repair, oral hygiene education.
This may vary slightly but cleanings, fillings, extractions, some oral surgery, root canals (at some locations) denture repair, oral hygiene education.
Q. Who is eligible to be treated?
Anyone and everyone, all ages, no restrictions unless the patient can’t be treated because of a medical reason.
Anyone and everyone, all ages, no restrictions unless the patient can’t be treated because of a medical reason.
Q. What if the patient needs pain medication?
There is always a pharmacy at the event to dispense free pain medications as prescribed by the treating dentist.
There is always a pharmacy at the event to dispense free pain medications as prescribed by the treating dentist.
Q. What if a patient needs additional treatment?
To assure that all patients have follow-up access, we have pre-arranged with local dentists to care for those individuals, if necessary.
To assure that all patients have follow-up access, we have pre-arranged with local dentists to care for those individuals, if necessary.