Local Dentist Volunteers to Help Those in Need

Dr. Andrea Lange, who practices family dentistry at the Dental Clinic of Marshfield (DCM), and Tasha Pokallus, a dental assistant at DCM, recently took part in the Mission of Mercy dental program held at the La Crosse Center. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Dental Association and Federation (WDA), the two-day event provided free dental care to 1,533 adults and children - amounting to $850,000 in free care. Dental services were provided from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for two days and due to the large number of patients, the volunteers serviced twenty-seven percent more people than anticipated.

"I learned of the Mission of Mercy program at the Central Wisconsin Regional chapter of the WDA annual meeting in Wausau this past winter," notes Lange. "I felt this would be a great chance to help those who, for whatever reason, are not getting the dental care that is so very important to their well being. The Dental Clinic of Marshfiled serves patients on Medicaid, BadgerCare and BadgerCare Plus, but we know that we can only do so much. There are so many people who simply aren't receiving the dental care they need." 


According to the WDA, over 1,300 Wisconsin-licensed dentists provide care through Medicaid, BadgerCare and BadgerCare Plus. Because of the low rate of reimbursement for these programs - approximately 38 cents on the dollar - dental practices lose money because they can't cover the cost of overhead. In addition, dentists throughout the state provide charitable care in their private offices or by donating time to outreach programs such as Give Kids a Smile, or Mission of Mercy.

Dr. Lange and Tasha Pokallus saw over 100 patients during her volunteer hours at Mission of Mercy. "I realized how important this event was to people when we arrived the night before and saw several people already waiting in line. They waited overnight to be certain they would be seen the next morning." Lange concludes, "One woman in particular struck me as a prime example of why this type of event is so wonderful. She shared with me that she had not visited a dentist in over 15 years. She was thrilled that the volunteers were so nice and non-judgmental while providing her with the care she needed."