ALLENTOWN, Pa. — If you need a dentist but don't need its usual price tag, the Mom-n-PA clinic event is for you.
The organization was created in 2013 by a group of dentists as a way to side-step some of the barriers in the dental industry.
It set up a clinic every year in a different part of the state, doing free dental work, including cleaning, fillings, children's dental care and even the occasional root canal.
- Mom-n-PA, a free dental clinic, is at the Agri-Plex building at Allentown Fairgrounds until 5 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday
- It offers free dental work, including cleaning, fillings, children's dental care and even the occasional root canal
- More than 950 people volunteered at the clinic Friday, including dentists, others in the dental field and people in the neighborhood who just wanted to help out
It even will extract a tooth and replace it with an artificial one.
This year, it's set up in the Agri-Plex building at Allentown Fairgrounds. It is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday.
It's equipped to handle 1,000 patients a day, and as of noon, Friday had just passed the 400 mark.
It's made possible by a variety of donors giving funds and equipment, but mainly the organization credits the volunteers who donate their time and skills.
"Not only is the quality of care as good, it might be better. They're not getting paid, they're coming here and they're putting 110% into this."Bruce Terry, dentist and facilities chairperson of Mom-n-PA
"You know, the dentists here have not gone to their office today or tomorrow, and they're coming to do this gratis," said clinic Chairman Bruce Terry, who in his day job is a root canal specialist and endodontist.
"Not only is the quality of care as good, it might be better. They're not getting paid, they're coming here and they're putting 110 percent into this. There's nothing in it for them except the good feeling of doing it.
"So trust me when I tell you, they're not doing crappy — you know, bad care. This care is as good or better than what they get in their own office."
More than 950 volunteers took part Friday. Not all were dentists, but many were in dentist-adjacent positions. Others were just people in the neighborhood who wanted to help out.
The man in the flashy pants
On Friday, Terry was running around the giant clinic hall, "putting out fires" as he described it — guiding the volunteers and solving medical problems.
What first looked like an interesting fashion choice turned out to be a strategic one. Terry was wearing colorful tie-dye pants with matching Crocs, somehow the same rainbow tie-dye pattern. Perfectly matching. On his waist, he wore a fanny pack to the side. His shirt was a less flashy black polo.
"The reason I have these pants is so that people can find me when there's something that needs to be taken care of," he said, keeping a straight face. "They say, 'Find the guy with the tie-dye pants.'"
Terry said his flashy outfit evolved out of necessity.
"I did not wear these the first year, and a lot of people were trying to find me, and they were getting confused," he said. "So it made sense that if I did something to make me stand out, then I would stand out.
"The funniest part is that there are patients who travel around to our missions every year, whether it's here, Scranton, Reading or wherever it is, and there are patients that say 'Hey! I remember you from last year.'"
Several times throughout the interview, Terry was pulled away by eager staff who needed his help. "Just putting out more fires," he said with a laugh.
Doing hands-on work
Some of Friday's volunteers were students at the Lehigh Valley Career & Technical Institute. They were in a group of at least 13, led by their instructor, Ewa Galus.
Galus said she sees the potential in her students. She's only been teaching the program for four years but said she's already seen some of her charges go on to get into pre-dental studies.
"It's the best feeling ever," she said, when asked what it's like to see their careers grow. "It's just — 'I can't be more proud of you'. It's like, I feel like I accomplished something. I'm living through them."
At the clinic, the group of students was doing hands-on work — mostly as assistants. It included sterilization, oral surgery and even radiology. Some of the students are only 15 and are already licensed to perform radiology.
One with a radiology license is Anijah Parker, 15. She's already equipped and licensed to diagnose anything from cavities to cancer.
Anijah said she was thrilled when she heard the news that she passed the radiology exam.
"My mom jumped on me!" she said. "She was so happy, and I was more just, like, in shock. So I was celebrating, but I was more just kind of sitting there quiet."
She said she started putting the license to work and even has an interview for a summer job lined up in a dental office. She said events such as the Mom-n-PA clinic help to solidify her accomplishment and make it feel real.
Anijah said she's interested in working in either cosmetic dentistry or oral surgery — "but nothing's for sure."
When her teacher, Galus, was asked whether she thought Parker will achieve her dreams, she said: "Absolutely. They can accomplish anything they want. It's just their mindset — it's all about their mindset."
As she said that, she stood back and looked at her other students, making sure they knew that about themselves, too.
