Our Community
What is Arkansas Mission of Mercy (ArMOM)?
ArMOM is an annual two-day free dental clinic sponsored by the Arkansas State Dental Association for underserved Arkansans. All services are provided free of charge by members of the Arkansas State Dental Association, assisted by a host of volunteers. ArMOM provides dental care for the relief of pain to underserved Arkansans, many of whom are from working families who do not have access or cannot afford dental insurance.
Since ArMOM was started in 2007, over 8084 patients have been seen in only ten total clinic days! The number of procedures performed has been phenomenal: 15,967 extractions of bad teeth, and 7,738 fillings and other restorations. These donated procedures were worth an estimated $4 million. Many of these patients might otherwise had no hope of receiving care.
More than 800 Arkansans, including 120 dentists, volunteered for last year’s ArMOM, and we are pleased to report that, over the two-day event, 1,884 patients received $1.3 million in dental care, including 4,361 extractions for the relief of pain. This is a noteworthy statistic considering the probability that many of the extractions otherwise untended might have resulted in emergency room visits.
How You Can Help
Though all dentists and support personnel are volunteers who donate their time to ArMOM, there are still thousands of dollars of expenses involved in operating ArMOM.
These include dental equipment and maintenance, dental supplies, food, water, and t-shirts for volunteers, as well as food and water for patients waiting in line, and numerous other miscellaneous expenses. Though we have several generous corporate sponsors who have made ArMOM possible, we gladly accept (and need) donations of any amount!