OkMOM Offers Free Dental Care OkMOM 2016 photo by Tina Evans/Oklahoma Dental Association By Kaylan Goodwin O
klahoma Mission of Mercy (OkMOM) is a two-day free dental clinic event designed to treat the most pressing oral health needs of patients who are uninsured, underinsured or would not nor- mally have access to dental care.
The event is produced in partnership by the Oklahoma Dental Association
(ODA), Oklahoma Dental Foundation (ODF) and the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Oral Health Foundation (DDOK-OHF) and endorsed by the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The president of the ODA works diligently on the event to ensure its success. This year’s president, Dr. Edmund Braly, DDS, believes participating in OkMOM is the epitome of what it means to be a dental professional. “OkMOM provides a very organized, effi cient, ethical and safe outlet
which can deliver top quality care to thousands of Oklahomans,” Braly said. “The most important function of being a health care professional is provid- ing service, time and care to one’s fellow men.” At the event, patients undergo medical and d ental triage to identify their
needs before they are routed to the appropriate areas of treatment: oral sur- gery, extractions, restorations, pediatrics and hygiene. The 2017 OkMOM will take place on Feb. 3 and 4 in Woodward, Okla.,
home of Northwestern Electric Cooperative. As the 2017 OkMOM Chair and ODA member, local dentist Trent Yadon’s volunteerism of time and talent is rooted in what he believes is his duty. “I am not aware of any other healthcare profession that provides or spon- sors such a huge gift of free care in Oklahoma,” Braly said. Executive Director of the ODF John Wilguess, is quick to echo Braly’s sentiments. “OkMOM is the single best example of medical professionals in our state
seeing a situation with no traditional fi x and taking matters into their own hands to help those in dental need,” Wilguess said. To ensure the success of such a large event, hundreds of dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, dental and dental hygiene students and lay vol- unteers come from across the state to provide over $1 million of free care each year. John Gladden, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Oklahoma and Oral Health Foundation chair, agrees that without committed volunteers,
24
OkMOM would not thrive year after year. “OkMOM simply would not happen without the ODA’s efforts to enlist
the participation of its members,” Gladden said. “Participation with the event is deeply rewarding and has become an annual tradition for many volunteers, both professionals and laymen.” DDOK-OHF, the primary funder for the event, contributes $100,000 an-
nually. In addition, many Delta Dental of Oklahoma employees volunteer hundreds of hours in preparation for and during the event. Since 2010, OkMOM has treated 12,175 patients for a total of $8,742,959
in donated dental services. Yadon believes this success is owed to great need meeting the vital complement of a willing workforce. “This being the eighth year of the event shows how dedicated the volun- teers are to making this event bigger and better,” Yadon said. Anyone who has attended or participated in the event in the past, even
just once, is likely to notice the unique atmosphere that OkMOM embodies. OkMOM 2017 will be at the Woodward County Fairgrounds & Event
Center; anyone interested in volunteering or receiving treatment can fi nd more information at
www.okmom.org.
2017 Oklahoma Mission of Mercy
Woodward County Fairgrounds 105 Temple Houston Dr. Woodward, OK 73801
Friday, Feb. 3 at 5 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4 at 5 a.m.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112