MOMOM Patient FAQ

The Missouri Mission of Mercy (MOMOM) is a large-scale dental clinic that provides free oral health care to patients age 5 years old and up 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.

Dental services include cleanings, fillings, and extractions. We will NOT be providing crowns, bridges, or full dentures. No services are guaranteed until you’ve been examined by a dentist at the clinic.

There will be no appointments made for the general clinic. Patients will be seen on a first- come, first-served basis until we reach our capacity for the day. Capacity is determined by the number of professional dental volunteers present and cannot be predicted in advance of our event.

There will be a first-come, first-served patient screening from 1-5pm on Thursday, August 15 at the Civic Arena. Prescreening covers patient registration, dental triage, medical triage, x-ray and routing. Prescreened patients will proceed immediately to treatment waiting chairs when the clinic opens at 7am Friday, August 16, thus reducing their wait time. IMPORTANT: This service is an opportunity for those who can attend. It is not necessary to come Thursday. We will still be able to see patients who are in line Friday morning (again, on a first-come, first-served basis).

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.

Arrive as soon as you can and be prepared for a full day. Here is the likely process you will go through:

• Waiting in line both outdoors and indoors. We appreciate your patience.
• Filling out basic patient registration forms. Volunteers will be available to assist you.
• Participating in a basic medical screening to determine if you are healthy enough to receive treatment.
• Participating in a basic dental screening to determine the treatment that can be done.
• Waiting in designated areas for your treatment  for the day.
• Receiving treatment from a dental professional.
• Checking out and receiving follow-up instructions.

You should expect to spend the majority of your day with us. By the time you wait in line, have your medical screening, dental screening and treatment completed, it could be a 6-8 hour (or longer) event. Please be prepared for that amount of time. You will have access to rest rooms and we will provide light snacks and water.

We recommend the following:

• List of current medications.
• One-day supply of your regular medications.
• It is a long day and it is best to leave children who aren’t receiving dental treatment at home with somebody. There is no child care on site.
• Snacks and water.
• Patience and a good attitude.
• Portable chair. The outside line may be long and you may be required to stand for long periods of time. You will be able to check this item upon entry. You will be responsible to retrieve any checked personal items upon your departure.
• Light sweater or jacket. The facility is air conditioned and wait times can be long.

NO. The Civic Arena is a smoke-free facility indoors and outdoors. Please read the smoking policy and plan accordingly. Thank you for your assistance in following the policy.

POLICY: No smoking is permitted on Civic Arena property. The policy applies to every person who attends an event at the Civic Arena. The policy prohibits the smoking of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, pipes, cigars, hookahs and water pipes. Violation of the policy is defined as smoking any tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

Receiving dental care while pregnant is safe for most women. Maintaining good oral health during pregnancy is important. If you are pregnant, we ask that you bring a written note from your OB/GYN noting concerns or recommendations regarding dental treatment. If your OB/GYN has concerns, you may wish to seek regular dental care at a clinic other than MOMOM. You can find a list of clinics for low-income and underserved individuals at www.modental.org/cliniclist. 

Follow your primary care provider's instructions and inform the health care professionals and dentists as you go through the screening process. Premedication does not eliminate you from receiving care. We will have appropriate medications available for you at no cost.

Appropriate non-narcotic pain medications and antibiotics will be dispensed as directed by our clinicians. There will be no narcotics on the premises.

No. This is a completely free event. Because of the generosity of our volunteers and event sponsors, we will not be filing insurance or charging patients for the services.

Each patient will undergo a simple medical screening at the start of your MOMOM experience. Some things that could prevent you from being treated include:

• Fever at the time of treatment.
• Uncontrolled or abnormally high blood pressure.
• Abnormally high or uncontrolled blood sugar levels (if you are diabetic).
• A history of excessive bleeding or too thin of blood. (Those on blood thinner medications should talk to their doctor before seeking dental treatment. Patients on Coumadin/Warfarin should bring a current INR card. Patients on Xarelto or Eliquis should consider stopping their medication 2 doses prior to treatment but not before talking to their doctor first.)
• Currently taking medications to suppress your immune system.
• Other significant health issues (i.e. recent heart surgery/attack, undergoing cancer treatment, etc.)

You are welcome to bring a friend or family member with you to MOMOM. They can accompany you while outside the clinic, but we require them to stay in the family/friends waiting area once you enter the building. You will be able to rejoin them after you are finished.

Someone must hold your place in line if you need to run to your car prior to entry. Once inside, you will not be able to return to your car until after treatment is complete.

All care will be provided by volunteer licensed dentists and hygienists as well as dental assistants.

We can treat multiple adult family members, but there are some things to consider.

1. Once inside the clinic, do not plan on being able to stay together through the entire process.
2. If you are a parent seeking treatment, please leave your children at home with somebody.
3. No childcare is available.
4. We have a pediatric clinic for ages 5-18 that is separate from the adult clinic. We require at least one parent/guardian to always be with children younger than 18.
5. Adults accompanying children who are receiving treatment should not plan on getting treatment themselves.

Our first priority will be to treat your most critical dental need. One of our volunteer dentists will meet with you and determine how we can help you best. The purpose of this type of clinic is to eliminate pain/infection by treating your most urgent dental need and to help as many individuals as possible.

We will have some volunteer translators. Due to the volunteer nature of the clinic, it is hard to know how many translators and/or signers for the hearing impaired will be available at MOMOM. If you are a translator and want to volunteer for our event, please register online. A family member can accompany a patient to help translate.

Only ADA service animals will be permitted in the facility. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. If the animal meets this definition, they are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government. Therapy pets do not meet this definition. 

Yes. We do not determine who can receive care based on where they live. We will help as many individuals as time and supplies allow. All services at MOMOM are on a first-come, first-served basis until we reach our capacity.

No. If you are experiencing abnormal to severe pain, you should seek immediate treatment. If you do not have access to a dentist, please go to the nearest dental emergency room; if that's unavailable, go to the nearest hospital emergency room. You can find a list of clinics for low-income and underserved individuals at www.modental.org/cliniclist. 

If you are interested in sharing with other individuals or organizations who may benefit from this charitable effort (as a patient), please download the Patient Information Flier and post where others may see it.

Email mom@modental.org.

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