By Mary Sisk
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Mission of Mercy provided free dental work for more than 1,000 patients last weekend, totaling $1,024,736.96 in care.
“We want to thank the city of Rockford, our area dentists and volunteers who put in the hard work and local media outlets who helped us reach as many people as possible about the free care they could receive at Mission of Mercy,” Dr. Tom Sullivan, Illinois State Dental Society Foundation president and event organizer, said Thursday in a news release. “Every event is a true team effort.”
The sixth Mission of Mercy event took place July 22-23 at the UW Health Sports Factory, 305 S. Madison St., Rockford.
Along with the free services, patients were educated on proper oral health, diet and how to avoid future dental issues.
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This is the first dental Mission of Mercy event in four years due to a hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the last event being held in Springfield.
The services are performed by volunteer dentists, dental hygienists, registered nurses and other trained professionals to benefit those in need.
“We know we are changing people’s lives for the better in Rockford and the surrounding area through Mission of Mercy and are proud to report the event was another success to meet people’s needs,” Dr. Sullivan said.
Mission of Mercy | By the numbers
Here’s a look at the total number of free dental care provided at the two-day event in Rockford.
916 fillings
1,159 extractions
1,944 cleanings
54 partial dentures
58 root canals
610 x-rays
Source: Illinois State Dental Society Foundation
More information
For more information on the Illinois State Dental Society Foundation’s Mission of Mercy visit, here.
This article is by Mary Sisk. Email her at msisk@rockrivercurrent.com or follow her on Instagram at @maryrrcurrent