Annual free dental care clinic in Memphis | News

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hundreds of people are getting brighter smiles thanks to one Mid-South organization.

This weekend, the Mid-South Mission of Mercy is hosting its annual free dental clinic. The clinic takes place at Bellevue Baptist Church. This is the 10th year the organization is putting on this clinic.

“It seems like as soon as we finish, we’re preparing for the next year,” Stueart Hudsmith, with the Mid-South Mission of Mercy, told FOX13.

The clinic is a huge event, bringing hundreds of people in need of critical dental care. This year, the first person got in line at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Hudsmith said that shows there is a big need for dental care in our community.

“A lot of these individuals have had to put dental care on the backburner for various reasons. It’s expensive, you know, they put their family first,” said Hudsmith.

The clinic was supposed to be held at the end of January. Hudsmith told FOX13 the snow and ice storm led organizers to make the unnerving decision to move the clinic date.

“We have obviously 2,000 volunteers, patients,” Hudsmith said. “There’s media, 18-wheelers full of supplies and equipment that are coming in from all over the country, not to mention the church operates a lot of different things besides just us.”

The organization made it work, celebrating 10 years of providing free dental care. Barrett Sexton, an Oral Surgeon in Memphis, has been volunteering since the very beginning.

“It’s just a great, great service to the community and to see so many people — dentist, non-dentist — volunteering that come together to help each year is just a humbling experience,” Sexton said.

The clinic provides free teeth cleanings, fillings, extractions and more. There is also a pediatric area for kids to receive services and an area where some patients can get partial dentures.

Hudsmith told FOX13 this dental clinic takes a village to host.

“We have some great donors that have really helped us out,” he said. “We’ve got tremendous volunteers. The people here at Bellevue graciously host this event.”

The free dental care clinic is first-come, first-served. Parents are encouraged to arrive early.

If you couldn’t make it Friday, the event continues at 6 a.m. Saturday at Bellevue Baptist Church — located at located at 2000 Appling Road in Memphis.