Dental Mission Week
February 6-10, 2017
at UMMC School of Dentistry

WE NEED YOU!

This project will include an entire week of service learning for dental students in addition to providing much needed dental care to underserved adults and children in Mississippi. Patients will be prescreened and identified as underserved per contacts with homeless shelters and social service agencies.

The goal is to provide free treatment to over 200 adult patients each day. The treatment is intended to address the patient’s chief complaint as well as to provide oral pain relief. Adult patients will receive oral health care that includes: preventive treatment (exams, X-rays, cleanings), silver amalgam and composite fillings, extractions, and anterior root canals.

Give Kids A Smile will be conducted on Friday, February 10th. Students from three Jackson metro area schools, prekindergarten through fifth grade, will be seen along with the Mississippi Boys and Girls Club after school care children. The goal on Friday is to provide examinations, cleanings and sealants to an estimated 1,100 children.

The MDA is partnering with our dental school to make this week long event a huge success. So what do we need from our Mississippi dentists? Your support – by volunteering at least one day and also your monetary contributions. An event of this size requires a lot of planning, coordination and volunteer support. We desperately need our community volunteer dentists and dental hygienists from around the state to help us out. Volunteers are needed each day.

Here is specific information and steps to be completed to volunteer at UMMC:
1) Complete a Volunteer Services Application
2) TB skin test. The test can be done here at UMMC at NO CHARGE to volunteers. They are provided on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday between the hours of 8am and 4pm. THE VOLUNTEER MUST RETURN WITHIN 48-72 HOURS TO HAVE STUDENT/EMPLOYEE HEALTH CHECK THE SITE. (if you have documentation of a recent skin test, that will suffice)
3) Fingerprinting. This is also done at UMMC at NO CHARGE to the volunteer. Fingerprinting is provided Monday – Friday, 8am-4pm. Volunteers must contact Volunteer Services to schedule an appointment for fingerprinting.
4) Attend Volunteer Services Orientation. Orientation classes last approximately 30 minutes. A schedule of classes are included within the application. A special orientation class can be arranged for large groups and can be coordinated through Marla Martin.

We do recognize that the process to volunteer is somewhat involved. Please note that the purpose of the steps is to protect volunteers as well as to follow legal requirements.

If you cannot volunteer at the School of Dentistry, please provide a donation to help offset the costs of this week long event. Your donations are tax deductible and you can even easily donate on-line: www.umc.edu/givenow (select School of Dentistry options and GKAS/Mission week).

If you have additional questions or information needs? Contact Marla Martin at 601-984-6184 or memartin@umc.edu.

We are all looking forward to the opportunity to serve together and help a lot of our fellow Mississippians in need.