Mission Of Mercy


The Mission of Mercy (MOM) projects are conducted in identified, underserved areas of the state where there are not enough dental practitioners to adequately address the oral health needs of the community.

The VDA Foundation thanks the following organizations for their generous support.

  Delta Dental Virginia Health Care Foundation Henry Schein virginia department of health Cranemasters UCD Protecting stacked VCU School of Denistrydenta quest
 

 

While more people can now receive oral health care through public programs in Virginia, there remains a shortage of pediatric dentists and Medicaid providers in many areas. For older adults, Medicare currently provides little or no dental coverage. Low-income adults without other options may turn to the dental safety net – community health centers and free and charitable clinics. While there are 100 dental safety net sites in Virginia, many only offer care on a part-time basis and must book appointments far in advance. Without access to affordable preventative care and dental treatment, thousands of people suffer with discomfort, broken teeth, difficulty chewing and speaking, and embarrassment associated with dental disease. To address the overwhelming need for access to free oral health care, Dr. Terry Dickinson, former executive director of the Virginia Dental Association, created the Mission of Mercy (MOM) program in 2000 to provide high-quality dental care for underserved Virginians. The MOM program operates pop-up clinics in strategic locations across the State, providing preventive, restorative, and surgical dental treatments to more than 1,000 low-income individuals each year.


MOM Sites Map

Upcoming MOM Projects CLICK TO VOLUNTEER

Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Clinic (Dentures) Mini-MOM Abingdon: October 17-18, 2024
Piedmont Smiles MOM Project Bealeton, VA: November 2, 2024
Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Clinic (Extractions) Mini-MOM Abingdon: March 6-7, 2025
Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Clinic (Dentures) Mini-MOM Abingdon: May 15-16, 2025
Special Olympics MOM Project Richmond: June 14, 2025
Wise MOM Project, Wise: July 18-19, 2025
Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Clinic (Dentures) Mini-MOM Abingdon: September 25-26, 2025

 

More Details on MOM

Planning a MOM project

Click Here To Volunteer With MOM

Vdaf Success Stories

MB

M.B.

When I was 6 months old I had polio. All the medicine messed my teeth up so badly that they decayed. I used to hide my mouth when I talked. I taught myself to not open my mouth too wide because of my bad teeth. I saw Donated Dental on Facebook and I called. I talked to a wonderful person there. She felt my pain. I'm a pretty woman until I open my mouth. She helped me get my mouth together. My doctor, Dr. Lopez, was wonderful and her assistant Joan was wonderful too. She was so gentle with m
Read More Stories

Donate to Vdaf

Get involved and help to provide dental care to Virginia families and children:


VA Association of Free & Charitable Clinics

Optima Health

Optima Health

phfLogo2015

phfLogo2015

phfLogo2015

phfLogo2015

genworth logo R

Guidestar Seal of Transparency

ICD Foundation

phfLogo2015

Emily S. and Coleman A. Hunter Charitable Trust

the walter w. regirer and maria teresa regirer foundation

oral health foundation pierre fauchard academy

Hampton Roads Community Foundation logo

United Way Logo

Cranemasters logo small

UCD Protecting stacked

jrf

Cameron Foundation

Jenkins found 2019

DentaQuest 2019 web

Henry Schein

Virginia Department of Health

Dominion Energy Horizontal RGB

vadental