Mobile clinic, volunteers to bring free dental services to hundreds of El Pasoans

Texas Mission of Mercy is a mobile dental clinic that travels around the state providing free basic dental care to Texans with limited resources and/or access to care.

The last time El Paso hosted the clinic was in 2003.

But thanks to a partnership between the El Paso District Dental Society, Texas Dental Association’s Smiles Foundation, Paso del Norte CharitableFoundation and dedicated volunteers, the dental clinic will be in El Paso at Silva Health Magnet High School on April 13 and 14.

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The two-day dental mission will bring hundreds of dental professionals and volunteers together to provide charitable, restorative dental care to more than 600 underserved and economically disadvantaged adults and children in our community.

TMOM is a one-of-a-kind event that happens in different cities in Texas throughout the year.

All the services rendered are free; most extractions, root canals, fillings, restorations of anterior and posterior teeth and removable prosthesis are provided.

Since the Smiles Foundation was founded in 2001, it has provided treatment to about 38,000 patients and delivered more than $27 million in charitable dental care.

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“There are expenses involved in bringing the portable 40-chair TMOM operation (in two tractor trailer rigs) to our corner of the state,” said Anna Alemán, executive director of the Paso del Norte Charitable Foundation.

The El Paso District Dental Association recently established a fund with the Paso del Norte Charitable Foundation. This partnership supports the Dental Association with fundraising and administration to ensure the success of the event.

The future goal of the EPDDA Fund is to bring the mobile dental clinic to El Paso more often, and provide scholarships to local students who enroll at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine.

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“We are very fortunate to have several national and local donors agree to help cover some of the expenses for this mission. Generous partners include Justin and Noelle Lowenfield, El Paso Chihuahuas Foundation, El Paso Giving Day, Hunt Family Foundation, Dr. Mark DuVernois, Shiloff Family Foundation, West Texas Maxillfacial Surgery PA, Benenevis Foundation, El Paso Dental Conference and the El Paso District Dental Society, as well as many generous individuals and in-kind donors.”

This endeavor requires a lot of time to prepare as well.

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Area dentists, dental hygienists and other professionals close their offices to volunteer their time and resources. Volunteers are needed to help in areas such as hospitality, registration, translating, security, patient runners and child care.

If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information, contact Rosa Sanchez at (915) 525-6787 or rsanchez@benevis.com.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the TMOM project or establish a new fund, visit the Paso del Norte Charitable Foundation at www.pasodelnortefoundation.org, email aaleman@pdnhf.org or call (915) 218-2642.

Anna Alemán is executive director of the Paso del Norte Charitable Foundation. She may be reached at aaleman@pdnhf.org.

The Paso del Norte Charitable Foundation was established in 2013 to support the philanthropic efforts of individuals, nonprofits, foundation and corporations to support education, health, economic development and the overall quality of life in our bi-national region.