Hurley, VA Residents Receive Free Dental Care

Early Friday morning Roxie, her sister and a friend could be seen waking up in their car. Determined to be among the first in line at our free dental clinic in Hurley, Virginia, the women parked in Word Evangelical Outreach Church's parking lot at 9 o'clock the night before. Roxie had suffered with painful loose teeth for years and couldn't afford to see a dentist. She wasn't going to let this opportunity pass her by.

During the 2-day dental clinic in September, Roxie was among the 114 patients our volunteer team of dentists, dental assistants and student dental assistants were able to help in this rural, impoverished area. Dr. Kustra pulled two of Roxie's teeth. Having a heart to assist those in need, he had driven down from Milwaukee, Wisconsin!

Buddy, 36, also needed to see a dentist. His teeth had hurt him so much that he broke them off with his fingers! He was born with Down's Syndrome, and suffered from scoliosis and diabetes as well. He saw an impatient dentist several months ago, only to be told that he would have to go under general anesthesia to have a few of the damaged teeth pulled. Buddy and his family couldn't afford the $2,500 that it would cost. They couldn't even afford dental insurance. Buddy left the office still in pain.

This precious patient was so excited to find out about our dental clinic! Dr. Moore asked Buddy to open his mouth like he did when eating a big hamburger. Soon, Dr. Moore had removed as many diseased and broken teeth as was medically possible in one sitting. Although his mouth was packed full with gauze, Buddy managed to smile with relief for the first time in a while.

We still have two more dental clinics planned for this year in the United States! We will be in Portsmouth, Virginia on October 15-16th as well as Boone, North Carolina on November 12-13th. If you or a dental professional you know of would be interested in volunteering, please e-mail us! Or, you can join us in tending the sick by giving a generous gift towards our medical services program.