F E A T U R E
by Tamurlaine Melby
photo: Allen Jones, VCU Creative Services.
Missions of Mercy:
Dental Care for the Underserved
s the daughter of two dentists, I’ve encountered a number of stereotypes about
A
this profession in America. People have told me that dentists are overpaid and
just in it for the money. Then there’s the cultural paranoia that portrays dentists as
sadists (think Little Shop of Horrors or Finding Nemo). Most people also expect
dentists to be men.
Dr. Carol Brooks, DDS breaks all these stereotypes. Bubbly and soft-spoken, she’s not
a dentist you could imagine being afraid of. And if you talk to her for two minutes about
why she loves her job, you’ll know she’s not in it for the money. “Dentistry’s not just a nine-to-five job,”
She’s not in it for the leisure time either; every week she divides her work at
says Neda, “It’s also a responsibility
VCU’s School of Dentistry into three parts: practicing dentistry, teaching students, and
conducting research on products and treatments. Then, in her “spare” time, she throws
to give back to the community.
herself wholeheartedly into Missions of Mercy (MOM), a volunteer-powered program
that provides dental care to underserved communities in Virginia.
Dr. Brooks is the clinical director and department liaison for MOM, which was
launched 10 years ago by Dr. Terry Dickenson, the Executive Director of the Virginia
Dental Association. Back then, Tennessee dentists were coming across state lines to staff
a health fair in Wise County, VA, where people who hadn’t sufficient means, insurance,
or access to healthcare could come for treatment. Dr. Dickenson wondered why Virginia
dentists weren’t the ones treating Virginia patients, and decided to fix that. He contacted
Dr. Brooks and asked her to bring seven of her residents to Wise for a weekend to staff
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FEBRUARY 2010
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