When the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland opens its doors at 7 a.m., there’s already a line of people stretching around the corner.
They’re here for MedWish Medworks annual two-day dental clinic, which the Delta Dental Foundation has supported since 2018. The clinic offers free, comprehensive dental care, regardless of whether they have insurance or an ID. Eventually, the crowd will move through security and disperse through the concourse, where MedWish Medworks volunteers will register and triage each person.
Joan Harper was just one of those people.
“I heard that it was first-come, first-served, so I got here early,” Harper says. “My husband and I both have Medicare, but those benefits are limited when it comes to dental.”
In addition to having significant dental work performed on her lower jaw, Harper took advantage of a new offering this year: same-day dentures, which are made possible by a unique, template-based process.
“You’ll have to tell me if my smile looks weird,” she says, trying out a few variations of a grin with her brand-new teeth. Harper seemed a little unsure but undeniably happy.
 |
| Joan Harper offers a new smile. (Photo by Jen Anderson) |
Once her dental work was done, she planned to visit the mammography and podiatry stations—also part of expanded care offerings for 2024, which include women’s health; mammography; HIV testing; mental health, glucose and vision screenings; vaccinations for COVID-19, RSV, flu and pneumonia; skin checks; podiatry; and more.
Attendees could also speak with insurance counselors and patient navigators who were onsite to help enroll people in Medicaid or find care beyond the clinic, such as from one of the local community health centers that were tabling at the event.
“We’re expanding this year’s footprint to allow for more patients, providers and community partners,” explains Dr. Roger Hess, a MedWish Medworks board member and dental lead for the event. “Patients will have an opportunity to access multiple services all at the same location, and our volunteer providers can educate them on the link between oral health and chronic disease.”
There’s also food distribution—bags brimming with fresh vegetables, green grapes, heaps of potatoes and squash, and even some baked goods.
 |
| A MedWish Medworks volunteer directs traffic around the food distribution station. (Photo by Jen Anderson) |
According to the 2021 Ohio Medicaid Assessment survey, getting dental care is the most common unmet health care need among children and is the second greatest unmet health care need for Ohio adults.
“People are here because they want to take care of themselves, and for many of them, this is the only way they can afford to do it,” says Rosemary Pierce, director of advancement at MedWish Medworks. “It shouldn’t have to be like that, but for now, we’re here filling those gaps.”
And teeth.
By mid-morning Friday, every chair in fillings and extractions has a person in it, and by the end of the day on Saturday, more than 1,100 people had received care.
“It’s a real case of being in the right place at the right time,” said Ricky Byers, who was encouraged to test the same-day denture process by MedWish Medworks staff just as his shift was ending. Byers works for the company that provides security to the Huntington Convention Center and other event facilities throughout Cleveland.
Byers said that he’s been without teeth for three years. “I have insurance, and I even had dentures. But what people don’ t know is that if something happens and they get lost or damaged, you can’t always get insurance to replace them.”
 |
| Ricky Byers before his denture fitting. (Photo by Jen Anderson) |
According to Byers, his insurance plan will replace dentures only once every eight years. He simply couldn’t afford to replace them out of pocket. His ability to eat—as well as his self-esteem—suffered.
The American College of Prosthodontics reports that “more than 36 million Americans do not have any teeth, and 120 million people in the U.S. are missing at least one tooth.”
The average cost for a full set of dentures is $1,800, though the actual cost may be much higher. Beyond the dollar value, they’re also costly from a time and resource perspective. Between exams, extractions (if needed), X-rays, impressions (which create molds of your teeth to create dentures), tissue conditioning and adjustments, it can take multiple visits to achieve properly fitted dentures. That takes time someone might need to take off from work or hire a babysitter, and it means they need to have reliable transportation to said appointments.
Although dentures cannot prevent the bone loss that happens as a result of lost teeth, they can make it easier to speak and eat—never mind improve quality of life and restore confidence.
 |
| Ricky Byers (center) after his denture fitting, with the volunteer dentists who assisted. (Photo by Jen Anderson) |
“I’m already thinking about the first thing I’m going to eat when I get home today,” Byers says with obvious delight. “Corned beef.”
To learn more about MedWish Medworks or to volunteer at a future event, visit www.medworksusa.org.