Volunteers, Dentsply Sirona, Patterson Dental help thousands during 2019 AZ MOM

On Dec. 13 and 14, 2019 about 200 dentists and 1,300 hygienists, assistants, and dental students volunteered to bring dental care to patients in need during the 8th annual Arizona Misson of Mercy (AZ MOM). Approximately 2,000 patients received treatments ranging from cleanings, fillings, and extractions to endodontics and restorations.

Dr. Jennifer Wynn (third from left) and her team prepped and seated 17 crowns in under six hours using CEREC technology.

Dentsply Sirona, along with Patterson Dental, supported the 2019 program by setting up five treatment stations for CEREC single-visit dentistry. These five stations allowed 16 volunteer doctors, assisted by local registered dental assistants, and 3rd and 4th-year dental students, to efficiently process 125 crowns in two days.

“We partner with Dentsply Sirona each year to bring in two to three panoramic x-ray units that my service team sets up and uses for imaging,” said Jay Connors, general manager of Patterson Dental and advisory board member of the Central Arizona Dental Society Foundation. “In addition, Patterson Dental is a CEREC training center and, in 2015, we added CEREC crowns to the AZ MOM event by installing four full CEREC stations. We added a fifth full unit this year, which allowed our volunteer CEREC dentists to complete more than a hundred CEREC restorations in two days! An amazing feat, thanks to Dentsply Sirona’s support and to all incredible volunteers,” said Connors, who has been involved with the AZ MOM program for seven years.

To him and his team, the program means more than only providing free treatments, Connors continued. “The dental care our volunteers provide not only solves patients’ dental issues but more importantly, helps them to regain their confidence and empowers them to smile again. When you are not in pain or embarrassed to smile, life is better. We are grateful to support this wonderful event where people’s lives are literally changed for the better.”

CEREC is Dentsply Sirona’s CAD/CAM innovative solution that covers three different treatment areas- restorations, orthodontics, and implantology. For 30 years, CEREC has allowed dentists to perform chairside ceramic restorations in only a single patient visit. For more information about CEREC, visit dentsplysirona.com.

The goal of the AZ MOM is to provide charitable dental care and education to Arizonans, reducing health risks and suffering for those in need and to improve the quality of life for those who suffer from dental disease. For more information, visit azmom.org.