Need free dental care near the Tampa Bay area? Here’s how to get it.
Floridians seeking relief from dental pain will have a chance to get it — without breaking the budget — at a Florida Dental Association Foundation event hosted in Lakeland at the end of the month.
The two-day event, called Mission of Mercy, will take place on Friday, May 31, and Saturday, June 1, at the RP Funding Center at 701 W. Lime St. Doors will open at 7 a.m., and patients will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Care will be offered until about 6 p.m. each day, but registration will end around noon on June 1 to ensure dentists can see every patient. Veterans can pre-register online before May 30 to receive priority care.
No photo identification, Social Security number or other documentation is required to be treated, and all services will be free regardless of insurance status.
Made possible by the work of about 300 volunteer dentists and hygienists, services will include cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canals and a limited number of dentures and partials. Pediatric dentists will also be on-site to treat kids.
Chris Bulnes, a Hillsborough County dentist and co-chairperson of Mission of Mercy, said he expects around 2,000 Floridians will receive life-changing care.
“Some of these people will come in with no teeth and walk out with a full set and confidence,” said Bulnes. “It’s the most beautiful thing.”
Each year, dental ailments keep people out of work and kids out of school because of pain or social stigma. And though dental health plays a critical role in overall well-being, care can be difficult to access.
About 6 million Floridians live in dental deserts, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That’s the largest state population living without basic dental care in the U.S.
In Florida and across the nation, vulnerable and marginalized communities — already prone to higher rates of chronic disease and limited access to health care — are left behind in these dental deserts, where patient volume exceeds the capacity of providers, or too few dentists are willing to serve those on Medicaid or the uninsured.
Constricting the pool of dentists are low — or nonexistent — reimbursement rates for services paid through the state’s Medicaid programs.
Mission of Mercy was founded to try to fill some of the gap. Last year’s event provided more than 1,300 patients with care valued at more than $1.8 million.
For information, visit www.FLAMOM.org. Patient FAQS are answered in both English and Spanish.
