Mobile dental clinic to provide free services in Texarkana

TEXARKANA, Texas (KSLA) – The Texas Mission of Mercy’s mobile dental clinic is in the Texarkana area through Saturday, June 18, offering free dental services.

Texarkana dentist Dr. David Steele is among volunteers from the dental profession providing the free services. The CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System teamed up with the Texas Dental Association’s Smiles Foundation to sponsor the clinic.

“We do happen to see people through the emergency room with needed dental care and so by sponsoring an event like this, it helps them receive preventable medical care before they need emergency services at the hospital or other entities,” said Jason Adams, president of CHRISTUS St. Michael.

The clinic is being held on Summerhill Road inside the Texas High School gymnasium. The services include basic pain relieving and preventive procedures such as dental cleaning, fillings and extractions.

“Our main objective is to relieve pain and infection for people and to improve their quality of life. A lot of people have un-met dental needs. They have no capacity to pay for that work on their own so we are trying to fill that need,” said Dr. BJ Curry with the Texas Dental Association.

This is the fifth time since 2011 that CHRISTUS St. Michael has brought the clinic to the Texarkana area. Leaders say it’s a great success.

“Over the last 12 years we have been able to serve over 2000 community members to help them with both preventable and urgent dental needs,” said Adams.

The clinic will be accepting walk-in patients from 7 a.m. to noon Saturday.

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