By Mackenzie Meleski 

On a warm day in July, VCU dental students sweat as they unloaded trucks packed with supplies and equipment to transform the University of Virginia’s College at Wise Convocation Center into a fully functioning dental clinic. 

From there, students began triaging and preparing for the next two days of treating patients. They are joined by dental professionals from around the state, many of them are VCU School of Dentistry alumni who volunteered when they were students. 

These volunteers are part of the Virginia Dental Association Foundation’s Missions of Mercy project, which has become a beacon of hope for hundreds of people with limited access to dental care in rural Southwest Virginia and surrounding areas over the past 25 years. 

The care patients receive is often life-changing. 

Take Carlos Diets for instance. The resident of nearby Norton, Virginia has visited Missions of Mercy several times and desperately needed a root canal when he came into the Convocation Center. 

“There’s a level of compassion and kindness here that I haven’t found elsewhere,” Carlos said. “All of the volunteers here are outstanding people and we are lucky to have them. I’m very grateful because without them, me and many other people would not be able to receive dental care.” 

Carlos Diets receives dental care at a Missions of Mercy event in Wise, Virginia in July 2024. (VCU School of Dentistry)

Since the project started two and a half decades ago, Missions of Mercy (MOM) has grown to host six to eight events annually throughout Virginia. Over 52,000 patients, like Carlos, have received dental care during these events, and the project has served as a model for more than 30 other states. 

“To be a dental professional is to help others with compassion and empathy,” said Lyndon Cooper, D.D.S., Ph.D., dean of VCU School of Dentistry. “Every year, I am amazed by the work that our students and faculty do at Missions of Mercy events to help underserved communities. I would like to express my gratitude towards all of the volunteers, not just this year but for the past 25 years.” 

Meeting patients where they’d least expect dentists

Missions of Mercy may seem like a well-oiled machine now, but it started out very differently. 

Missions of Mercy was founded by Terry Dickinson, D.D.S., former executive director of the Virginia Dental Association and adjunct professor at VCU.  

“We’ve continued to grow and help more people with each passing year,” Dickinson said. “I’ve seen dentists bring their kids to the projects to show them a new perspective on life and later on these kids grow up and become volunteers themselves.” 

Before moving to UVA Wise Convocation Center, Missions of Mercy events were held in an airport hangar and local fairgrounds. (VCU School of Dentistry)

The first event in Wise took place at an airport hangar. Dickinson recalled volunteers moving planes out of the hangar and carrying in dental chairs and equipment, transforming the space into a clinic. The projects later moved to the fairgrounds in Wise. There was no air conditioning and shade while waiting in line was difficult to come by, but still hundreds of people arrived in the early morning to receive care. 

“We were treating patients under tents but it was predominantly outside and you could always guarantee at least one thunderstorm,” Kim Isringhausen, VCU School of Dentistry's associate dean for risk, compliance and human resources and former faculty advisor for Missions of Mercy. “They had buses lined up for shelter if we had to run for cover from the rain.” 

Isringhausen served as director of service-learning programs and faculty advisor for Missions of Mercy from 2011-2019. She observed many changes since the start of her volunteering, but says that one of the most notable was the change in venue. 

“My husband and I were one of the advocates for moving to the UVA Wise Convocation Center,” Isringhausen said. “He met with several people to discuss how we can provide better conditions for the patients. That’s been a big change.” 

Another change has been the number of patients. In the early days of the Missions of Mercy, up to 1,400 patients were treated in one weekend. Missions of Mercy were also held in many locations throughout Virginia. That number has since declined, but Isringhausen assures that this is the best outcome. 

“Access to care is increasing,” Isringhausen said. “Medicaid is covering more people and there are more free clinics and dental offices coming to rural areas. It is a great thing to see less people in need of Missions of Mercy since when we first started.” 

Kim Isringhausen is the School of Dentistry's associate dean for risk, compliance and human resources and a former faculty advisor for Missions of Mercy. (VCU School of Dentistry)

More than 20,000 volunteer dentists, dental hygienists and students, faculty, staff and alumni from VCU School of Dentistry have provided more than $50 million in free dental services. Virginia’s MOM projects have broken records for the largest two- and three-day dental outreach clinics conducted in the U.S. 

At the 25th MOM project, 612 patients were treated with an estimated value of $570,607.  

“It changes the lives of the patients as well as the volunteers,” Dickinson said. “We’ve been able to become a dental home for people. We’ll continue to help them and provide care as long as they need it.” 

Invaluable experience caring for underserved communities in Virginia

In addition to providing much needed care for patients, Missions of Mercy is an important opportunity for students to practice clinical skills and also learn a new perspective. 

Fourth-year dental student and Missions of Mercy coordinator Madelyn Lawrence first learned about Missions of Mercy when she was a student at UVA Wise. For Lawrence, helping small communities was close to heart. 

“I grew up in a town of about 150 people where the closest dentist was an hour away,” Lawrence said. “Access to dental care is very important, but it’s often hard to get easily.” 

Lawrence first became interested in Missions of Mercy as an undergraduate student playing volleyball at UVA Wise. She observed the Convocation Center being transformed into a fully functioning dental clinic and spoke to some of the VCU dental students about their volunteer work. 

“I had always known I wanted to go into health care,” Lawrence said. “Seeing the work that dental students were doing really solidified that as well as started an interest in dentistry.” 

VCU dental students Jarrett Adkins and Maddy Lawrence are Missions of Mercy student coordinators. (VCU School of Dentistry)

Jarrett Adkins, a fourth-year dental student and student coordinator, also resonated with Missions of Mercy because of his upbringing. He first became exposed to Missions of Mercy after shadowing a dentist who was involved in the program. He has since been involved with the project for his entire dental school journey. 

“I grew up in a rural town so I could empathize with the patients in Wise who didn’t have many options for dental care nearby,” Adkins said. “It’s eye-opening to see the needs of the people out here and it’s extremely rewarding to be able to help them even in small ways. 

Isringhausen expressed her belief in the importance of students visiting underserved areas not only to help patients, but to educate themselves. 

“It’s really important for students to have a true sense of understanding for underserved populations and the dynamics there,” she said. “Gaining exposure to communities where health care is not readily available is valuable for any health professional, but especially for dentistry. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my involvement with Missions of Mercy.” 

To Dickinson, Missions of Mercy is a gift of perspective that is especially important for health care providers. 

“The patients leave thinking they were the ones to receive a gift,” Dickinson said. “But we got one as well; a gift of perspective and the feeling that you are doing good for others. When you’re a volunteer, you are changing lives with the skills you have. That feeling of pride and purpose is priceless.”