Proud Sponsors and Volunteers for the North Carolina Dental Society Missions of Mercy (MOM) Foundation - New Bern, NC

There is a special event that occurs on an annual basis that Cooke Capital is privileged to participate in and help sponsor. The North Carolina Dental Society Foundation Missions of Mercy (MOM) portable free dental clinics are an outreach program of the North Carolina Dental Society. The mission of the NCDS Foundation is dedicated solely to the oral health of North Carolina.

NCDSF MOM is a volunteer grassroots effort, and receives funding from grants and donations. Since its beginning in 2003 the program has received national and statewide recognition. The program offers free dental treatment to those in financial need who have few or no other options for care.

Currently, NCDSF MOM has enough equipment to set up an 80-chair full dental clinic including digital x-ray, sterilization, and all instrumentation and supplies. Services are provided for 300 to 3,000 patients, depending on the number of chairs set up, per two-day event. The clinics are staffed by volunteers including dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, laboratory technicians and scores of volunteers from across the state. Additionally, the program enjoys a good relationship with the UNC School of Dentistry and ECU School of Dental Medicine through their student volunteer organizations. Dental students participate as volunteer providers during each clinic and are an important part of the overall program.

This August, the MOM clinic in New Bern came to fruition, and our community stepped up in a large way to make it the success we dreamed about:

60+ charitable donations from organizations, businesses and individuals
666 volunteers participated for a total of 6,140 volunteer hours
654 patients received oral exams and appropriate radiographs
1,142 total extractions, both routine and surgical, were completed
542 dental restorations were performed
197 periodontal cleanings or gross debridgements were completed
39 removable prostheses were fabricated
$437,177.24 in total treatment value was provided (based on average dental fees) at no cost to patients

What cannot be quantitatively analyzed is the effect these procedures had on each deserving patient. Chronic oral pain was relieved, painful gum infections were addressed and many smiles were rehabilitated through fillings and prostheses.

There are two separate MOM clinics scheduled in separate locations:

August 23 - 24, 2019, New Bern, NC
Garber United Methodist Church
4201 County Club Road

October 18 - 19, 2019, Charlotte, NC
Bojangles Coliseum
2700 E Independence Blvd

Cooke Capital is delighted to sponsor food for the New Bern (Eastern NC) location on Friday, August 23. Our team will also be volunteering and helping provide access to dental care that many patients could not otherwise afford or receive. Through the volunteers efforts, many patients will finally feel relief from chronic oral pain and others will simply improve their smile and self-esteem. We all strive to make a difference in these patients’ lives while leaving a lasting impact on the New Bern community.

For more information about the Missions of Mercy, please visit the website at http://www.ncdental.org/for-the-public/ncdsf-mom.