Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Fluoridation Fails: Hundreds show up for Catholic Charities free dental clinic

In fluoridated Maryland,  "The first two people in line arrived within 10 minutes of each other Friday evening, ready to sleep on the sidewalk overnight for free dental care at a high school in Laurel on Saturday morning.

Twelve hours later, one woman was reclining in a dentist’s chair, getting a new tooth made of a synthetic composite. The other was heading home: The temporary clinic, which served 700 people Friday and Saturday, was unable to provide the treatment she needed, which involved multiple crowns and an abscess, without a specialized lab.

About 300 other adults were turned away over two days because of the overwhelming demand for dental care at the Mid-Maryland Mission of Mercy clinic. The clinic, at St. Vincent Pallotti High School, was sponsored by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington and the Maryland Office of Oral Health.

Open wide: Hundreds show up for Catholic Charities free dental clinic: