MOM crowd: More than 1,100 volunteers collaborated to provide free dental care to 755 patients at the ADA Mission of Mercy clinic in 2013 in New Orleans during the Association’s annual meeting.

San Antonio — Colgate has joined the effort to help San Antonio residents in need of dental care by becoming the lead sponsor for the Oct. 12 ADA Mission of Mercy charitable dental clinic.

The free one-day dental clinic, hosted by the ADA in cooperation with the ADA Foundation, the Texas Dental Association and the San Antonio District Dental Society, will serve up to 1,000 patients in need with comprehensive dental care services, from cleanings and exams to surgical and restorative treatments.

Colgate, the exclusive sponsor and provider for Give Kids A Smile consumer dental products, has also pledged financial and in-kind support for this year’s MOM event planned in conjunction with ADA 2014 — America’s Dental Meeting.

“One of Colgate’s core values is caring, which includes caring for communities and the people who live in them,” said Dr. Barbara Shearer, director of Scientific Affairs for Colgate. “We do this through our own Bright Smiles Bright Futures program but also look for opportunities to help dental professionals give back. The Mission of Mercy events are a wonderful way to showcase the ADA, dentists and their teams, while helping a large number of people who could not otherwise access dental care.”

ADA MOM sponsors and donors cover the entire cost of the event, from transport and set-up of equipment; to materials, supplies and prescription medications; to meals and snacks for volunteers during the 12-hour clinic. No government funding is used for MOM events. A typical event costs nearly $120,000 and organizing dental associations must raise the entire amount through donations and sponsorships in their communities.
In July, Great-West Financial announced its support for the ADA MOM, pledging corporate funding to mark the 80th anniversary of its business relationship with the ADA. Funding is also provided in part by a grant from the ADA Foundation.

At press time, other ADA MOM sponsors include a grant from the Patterson Foundation; financial and in-kind support from Church & Dwight; and support from Care-Credit, Freeman, Greehey Family Foundation, Henry Schein Cares Foundation, Benco Dental, DEXIS/Kavo Kerr Group, Henry Schein Inc., Lands’ End, Patterson Dental, Premier Dental Products, Procter & Gamble, SmartScrubs Inc., Sunstar Americas Inc., The RK Group, Wells Fargo and Whip Mix Corp.

It’s not too late to volunteer for the event. Because of licensing regulations, out-of-state dentists who have not already applied for a temporary license will only be able to volunteer in a nonclinical capacity. Texas dentists can provide clinical care during the event.

MOM volunteers serve many roles during a typical event, with dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants generally providing triage services, diagnostics and treatment, including restorative and specialty care. Other volunteers, including students, laboratory technicians and office specialists, provide support to help the MOM clinics run smoothly. Spouses and family members older than 18 are also welcome to help with event registration, set-up/tear-down and other logistics. Visit ADA.org/MOM to sign up as a volunteer.