On Friday and Saturday area residents in need of some basic dental work have a chance to take advantage of a free mobile dental clinic in Glen Rose.

The Texas Mission of Mercy's Free Regional Dental Clinic will be July 21-22 in the Glen Rose High School Red Gym (not Tiger Arena).

The clinic will include basic dental care at no charge to the public.

The event, sponsored by LDL Educational Resources Foundation and the Texas Dental Association Smiles Foundation (TDASF), has no less than 45 dentists from all over Texas signed up to participate. There are also 43 registered dental assistants among a total of almost 300 volunteers expected to be on hand.

Teresa Taylor, community chairman for the Glen Rose regional Texas Mission of Mercy, said that similar mobile clinics have been scheduled this year in Kerrville, Amarillo and San Angelo. The clinics are aimed at people who otherwise have limited access to dental care.

“TMOM's goal is to relieve pain by removal of abscessed (infected) teeth or those which cannot be restored, to perform fillings and cleaning and to help change quality of life for the patients served,” Taylor explained. “We anticipate serving between 400 and 500 people in the two-day, 20-chair clinic. Because of this situation, treatment will likely not be comprehensive.

“Patients are seen on a ‘first come-first served’ basis, with no other requirements to qualify but one’s need for care and willingness to wait one’s turn. Patients are asked to arrive about 5:00 a.m. to assure the best chance of being seen. No childcare is provided.”

Taylor added, “We raise the necessary funds to bring the clinical equipment and materials to our town, and the TDA Smiles Foundation recruits clinical professionals who volunteer to staff the clinic. They travel to these clinics at their own expense to donate services.”

For more information go online (tdasf.org), or see the Texas Mission of Mercy Free Regional Dental Clinic page on Facebook.