PITTSBURGH — Long lines outside the David L. Lawrence Convention Center Friday morning marked the start of the 10th annual free dental and hearing clinic put on by Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh.
People started lining up really early Friday.
“Yeah, I was here like, by 1:30-2:00 this morning,” said Melissa Anderson of McKeesport.
Friday was Anderson’s first time going to the clinic.
“To get my tooth right here fixed,” Anderson said. “It’s about to fall out, so I’ve got to get it fixed. And every time I call my dentist, they keep telling me that they’re booked.”
Anderson will leave the convention center Friday with a new tooth.
“If I went to a regular dentist, it would probably take a week to get that put back in,” she said. “This is better.
Getting that quick and comprehensive care to the community in need is the reason why this event started 10 years ago and continues to grow today.
“So, we saw it when we came to Pittsburgh 10 years ago, we realized that Pittsburgh needs are not every five to seven years, we need it every year,” said Dr. Richard Celko, Chief Dental Officer with UPMC Health Plan.
Dentists from all over the area — even those who are retired and those still learning at the Pitt Dental School — volunteer to help people get much-needed dental care for free every year.
Services like fillings, root canals, cleanings, partial implants, and even extractions can all be done; no questions asked.
“So, we have thousands of individuals, literally thousands that show up every year in the emergency room for dental related care that really can’t be done in an emergency room. It really needs to be done in a dental office. So, they’re treated temporarily in an emergency room, but the definitive care isn’t given. And so our hope is to provide access to care for that group of patients that’s forgotten,” said Dr. Daniel Pituch, Chief of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery at UPMC Mercy and UPMC Shadyside.
For the last five years, Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh also offered a free hearing clinic. Those who might be in need of a hearing aid can get checked, fitted, and go home with a hearing aid.
Regardless of what a patient’s needs might be, the doctors hope they leave happy.
“Pittsburgh has always been a city that takes care of its neighbors. We take care of one another, and as a result, we have this beautiful event where everybody comes together to take care of one another,” Pituch said.
The free dental and hearing clinic runs until Saturday afternoon.
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