MOMOM Volunteer FAQ

The Missouri Mission of Mercy (MOMOM) is a large-scale dental clinic that provides free oral health care to patients of all ages who cannot otherwise afford or access care. MOM events across America have helped more than 254,000 patients and have provided nearly $166 million in free dental services since 2003.

You will be among 700+ other dental and lay volunteers working in a variety of areas throughout the clinic. Large lines of people seeking treatment will likely form the night prior to the event. Know that your time and dedication are going to a great cause—helping to make MOMOM 2019 a success by providing dental care to those in need!

Services typically include cleanings, fillings, extractions and oral hygiene education.

We will need more than 400 specialty trained volunteers, such as dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, equipment technicians and nurses, as well as dental, hygiene and assisting students. We also will need up to another 300+ lay volunteers to assist with hospitality and facility management and to serve as translators, patient escorts and runners.

Volunteering at MOMOM does not guarantee treatment or preferential advantage as a patient. If you need dental treatment, make that your first priority and come to MOMOM as a patient. We appreciate your desire to give back, but we will have enough volunteers to operate the clinic.

Absolutely! There are many areas we will use your help! We'll need a variety of volunteers to make this event a success. We will need volunteers to assist with hospitality and facility management and to serve as translators, patient escorts and runners.

To finalize planning, the online registration will close three weeks before the event. This will be approximately July 26, 2019. Volunteers will be able to register on-site, though registering online in advance is strongly encouraged.

Volunteer registration opens April 2019. Online registration will close three weeks prior to the event to allow for processing of all volunteers. Make sure to read the Volunteer Job Descriptions to know what fits you best. Click here to go to online registration. There are many capacities in which volunteers are needed. Some areas may fill up or close quickly.

Each area of the clinic has different needs, and success depends on adequate staffing.

Morning shift volunteers need to arrive in time (no later than 6:30am) to check in, get acclimated and oriented at your station so you are ready to work, BEFORE the patient doors open at 7am. We ask that morning shift volunteers don’t break for lunch until their replacement has arrived. Brief breaks will be allowed at your lead’s discretion. Before your shift ends, please take a moment to familiarize your replacement about your duties so the transition is smooth.

Afternoon shift volunteers need to arrive in time (no later than noon) to check in and report to their station by 1pm so their predecessor can give a brief summary of duties. The goal is for a smooth transition between shifts so the clinic continues to operate efficiently. If an afternoon volunteer wants to eat lunch, they should arrive early to allow enough time to do so prior to reporting to shift change. Food will be available around 11am. This may seem early for lunch, but it allows morning volunteers to eat after a long shift and it prevents all volunteers from breaking at the same time and creating a delay in clinic efficiency. The shift for afternoon volunteers will end by 7pm. Again brief breaks will be allowed at your lead’s discretion.

Certain areas of the clinic, like patient registration and triage, will wrap up earlier in the day depending on clinic capacity. If volunteers still wish to serve once their original volunteer duty is over, they can report to the Help Desk to be reassigned to an area of need.

You are volunteering and we appreciate it! We recognize that you may have certain limiting factors that impact your time. For the success of the clinic and the patients we aim to serve, we ask all volunteers try to maintain these suggestions and be flexible to serve at times and in roles that may vary a bit.

You are volunteering and we appreciate it! We recognize that you may have certain limiting factors that impact your time. For the success of the clinic and the patients we aim to serve, we ask all volunteers try to maintain these suggestions and be flexible to serve at times and in roles that may vary a bit. Thank you for opening wide your heart and hands!

Providers will be seeing mostly adults (ages 18 and older). There is a pediatric department where most children/adolescents will be seen. There will be kids who come in with no restorative needs and who could see a hygienist, but we foresee that will be a small percentage.

Treatment will be oral hygiene instruction, and prophylaxis (polishing and scaling) or full mouth debridement. We are limited in what we can do with periodontal treatment and will not be doing quadrant scaling/root planning. It is likely that most adults will require a debridement. In order to do some debridements, anesthetic may be required. Prophys or debridements can be labor intensive, especially with appointment lengths limited in time. We will have some Cavitrons available to help accomplish these treatments in an efficient manner. Patients will be given information about regional hygiene programs/schools after treatment. This gives them a discount option to pursue additional periodontal treatment if they choose.

Hygienists will need to bring their own assistant if they desire one, and any assistant will need to bring their own chair. Generally speaking, volunteer assistants will be utilized first for doctors doing extractions and restorations.

No, all basic equipment and supplies needed to provide treatment will be on site. As the event approaches, we will post a list of the equipment, supplies and materials that will be provided. 

Yes. In fact, we encourage you to do so. We suggest you organize and bring a tackle box/tub of your favorite supplies. Bring anything that will make you comfortable and productive and not totally reliant on the basic clinic equipment. Please ensure you label everything, as you will be responsible for making sure you collect anything that is your personal equipment at the end of the clinic. 

There will be a very specific method to sterilization. Your instrument set-ups will be labeled by you, sterilized separately and returned to you.

Yes. There will be nitrile gloves available if you forget, but they may not be the exact same kind you prefer to use. We recommend everyone who has a "favorite" something to bring it with them. We suggest that you organize and bring a tackle box/tub of your favorite supplies, including gloves. 

• Appropriate attire (see What Should I Wear?
• A good attitude, patience and the ability to be flexible.
• Any of your favorite/preferred work materials, such as your own gloves, masks, loupes, stool and any supplies or instruments in an organized tackle box/tub.
• Your registration packet that will be emailed to you several days prior to the event. It will include your parking pass with all other instructions and communications.
• You may wish to bring your own marked non-glass water bottle to reduce the environmental impact of so many plastic bottles and to better identify your own water bottle.

Each individual volunteer must register separately. There will be a place for you to note if you are signing up with another group of volunteers or if you would like to work with a specific team or individual. Keep in mind you and your group must register for the same shift if you wish to work together.

No. All of the clinical equipment is easily adjusted to accommodate a right or left-handed clinician. 

MOMOM is a high-production triage clinic, and therefore the greatest need will be for experienced dentist volunteers. Dental students may provide treatment only if a faculty member has made pre-arrangements with MOMOM on the student's behalf and that faculty member is present and monitoring the student, and if there are open chairs without licensed providers waiting. This is pretty rare. It is more likely students will be asked to perform functions other than providing direct care, including assisting a dentist on the clinic floor. Dental student volunteers will learn a lot from observation and their familiarity with dentistry makes them valuable volunteers.

Yes! If your DENTAL or HYGIENE license is active outside Missouri, you MUST complete the MOMOM Request to Provide Temporary Gratuitous Services , which is then approved by the Missouri Dental Board, to be in compliance with Missouri law and to participate. Additionally, all dentists must provide proof of their malpractice coverage and provide a Volunteer Work Form. 

The Missouri Dental Association will have professional liability insurance coverage in place for dentists and hygienists who are not insured through a primary policy. To find out more read “For Providers: Am I Insured”. Dentists who have coverage are required to send a copy of your individual declarations/endorsements page to the MDA before the MOMOM event.

• The steps to do this include:egister online for MOMOM

1. Register online for MOMOM.
2. Send the completed Volunteer Work Form to your dental malpractice carrier to request a copy of your declaration/endorsement page.
3. Once you receive the declaration/endorsement page from your insurance carrier (make sure it includes policy expiration date), send it to the MDA. This ensures that you are eligible to participate at MOMOM.
4. Fax the declaration/endorsement page to 573-635-0764 or scan and email to mom@modental.org by July 26, 2019.

Yes. A hospitality room will be setup for your use during the event. Continental style breakfast items, buffet lunches, snacks, water and other refreshments will be available.

Yes. We need approximately 50 volunteers to set up and 50 volunteers to tear down the clinic. Those spots can be selected through the online registration. 

We ask all volunteers be at least 18 years of age. Any volunteers in the clinic area must be at least 18. 

The entire clinic will be wheelchair accessible. If you have other physical special needs we will do everything we can within our abilities to help with your accommodations. Please specify your needs when you register.

Scrubs, jeans, capri pants or knee length shorts are recommended. Modesty is encouraged. The clinic will be air conditioned. Closed-toe shoes are required. It’s a long day standing on hard surfaces, so plan accordingly. Be comfortable and ready for a fun day of dentistry and patient interaction. You will be given one volunteer short-sleeve t-shirt at registration. All volunteers must wear their provided MOMOM t-shirt while on the clinic floor. You may want to wear something under your MOMOM shirt. 

All dental health care personnel engaged in direct patient-care in the clinic areas must use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (e.g., gloves, masks, protective eyewear or face shield). MOMOM will supply gloves, masks and disposable gowns. You will want to bring safety glasses for you and your assistant. 

No. There will not be any continuing education (CE) credits offered for volunteering. 

Sponsorships and donations to support the MOMOM project should be made through the Missouri Dental Association Foundation. You can complete this process through the online MOMOM donation form. You also may complete a print form and mail a check. The MDAF is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. All contributions go directly to the MOMOM project. 

Arrangements for room blocks at a variety of local hotels are being made. Click here for nearby hotels.

If you are interested in volunteering at MOMOM or encouraging others to do so, please download the MOMOM Volunteer Flier and post where others may see it. If you are interested in sharing with other individuals (or organizations) who cannot otherwise afford or access care, and may benefit (as a patient) from this charitable effort, please download the Patient Information Flier and post where others may see it. You also are welcome to share this event through email, on Facebook, etc.

Email mom@modental.org