CTMOM Announces Free Statewide Dental Clinic April 17–18

HARTFORD — Senate President Don Williams (D-Brooklyn) and House Majority Leader Denise Merrill (D- Mansfield) joined leaders of the Connecticut Foundation for Dental Outreach (CFDO) in collaboration with the Connecticut State Dental Association (CSDA) to announce the return of the Connecticut Mission of Mercy (CTMOM).

The free dental clinic will be open to people of any age on a first-come, first-served basis on Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18, at the New Haven Public Field House beginning at 5 am.

CTMOM, a multichair dental clinic providing free dental care to underserved areas in Connecticut annually, will offer an array of dental services, including oral exams, cleanings, fillings, extraction, root canals, and interim partial dentures. Last year in its inaugural event held in Tolland, CTMOM provided more than $500,000 worth of free dental care to more than 1,100 residents from nearly all of Connecticut’s towns (residents came from 150 of 169 towns). 

This year CTMOM officials are hoping to serve more than 2,000 Connecticut residents.

“We understand the growing need for access to adequate oral health care here in the state of Connecticut,” said Dr Bob Schreibman, CTMOM co-chair and practicing dentist in Glastonbury.  “With more than one million residents lacking adequate health care coverage, the commitment has been made to ensure that CTMOM is here, year after year, to provide access to oral health care for those residents in urgent and immediate need.”

“The free dental clinic provided by CTMOM is not a permanent solution to the lack of access to oral health care in Connecticut, but when all is said and done, more than 2,000 individuals will benefit from the clinic this year — leaving them pain and worry free, allowing them to return to their daily lives,” said Dr Michael Perl, CTMOM co-chair. 

The clinic is conducted with the help of more than 900 volunteers and funding from grants and private donations. 

“Unfortunately the current economic crisis is making it more difficult for families to get the health care they need. We all know budget cuts are necessary, but cuts proposed by Gov Rell will only make matters worse: Nearly half of the cuts in her budget are made to the state’s health care programs,” Senator Williams said. “The legislature is working to protect our most vulnerable residents, but make no mistake, Mission of Mercy’s latest mission is sorely needed.”

“We welcome the return and the good work of the Connecticut Mission of Mercy that will be providing badly needed free dental care to families and individuals in need,” House Majority Leader Merrill said.  “This underscores that all of us must work collectively for a more permanent solution to resolving the health concerns of all our citizens. For now, we salute the effort of CTMOM for what they do and hope that as many people has possible take advantage of the free clinic in April.”