7th Annual MOM-n-PA
Set-up began early on Thursday morning.
With help from Third District, Scranton District Dental Society and
Luzerne County Dental Society, we had more than 50 volunteers.
We unloaded the 18 wheeler of equipment from the American
Dental Cares Foundation (ADCF). Crates were brought out by
forklift and palate jacks. Autoclaves, dental chairs, lights,
handpiece units and so much more were unloaded. Temporary
water, electrical and suction lines were put in place and
volunteers set up tables. Each Lead (person in charge of a
particular section) helped coordinate the set-up of their own
space. Set-up drawings are provided but almost always,
modifications occur.
This year the set-up went very quickly and by lunch we had a
good portion of the clinic up and working. Sections such as
Radiology required dental supply technicians from Benco and
Henry Schein to set up Panographic machines donated by
Planmeca. Laptops with sensors were donated by Dexis and
Nomad portable X-ray units were donated by Kavo-Kerr, as they
are each year. Without the help of these dental sponsors we
would not be able to do the diagnosis and treatment that so
many people in the community need.
The Hygiene crew arrived on set-up day and prepared their three
rows of hygiene chairs with all the necessary supplies. The other
clinical departments, Restorative, Endodontics and Oral Surgery
also completed their set-ups. Without these dedicated volunteers
that work each year, set-up would take hours longer. Each year
we buy more than $30,000 worth of dental materials. Luckily, we
rent the dental chairs, handpiece units, curing lights and all dental
equipment from ADCF. At the end of the event we pack it all up
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SE P T E M B E R/OC TOBER 2019 | P EN N S YLVA N IA D EN TA L J O UR N AL
and don’t have to worry about storing, servicing or replacing
the equipment. We have enough of our own stuff to fill a large
moving truck. We store our excess materials, registration items,
carts, wheel chairs, oxygen and more in a storage facility until
the following year.
The first patient arrived in the front of the arena at 8 p.m. on
Thursday night. At 4:30 a.m. Friday, there were more than 100
people in line. By 5 a.m. we had nearly 200 people in line.
We opened our doors to the first 150 patients. As they registered
we had volunteers arriving and the arena was coming alive.
By 6 a.m. we opened the doors to everyone in line. The first 150
patients were now in Medical and Dental Triage and working
their way to the clinical departments for dental care. Each patient
had a lay volunteer to escort them. Dentists and dental assistants
were setting up their work spaces and waiting for their first
patients of the morning. As the arena came alive I went around
making sure everything was on and working. Armed with two
radios and wearing tie-dyed pants, I was the guy to look for when
you needed something.
I really love this event each year and I am happiest when I am
running around while more and more patients enter the arena for
dental care. By 7 a.m. the place is in full swing. Patients were now
in every department of care. The noise level told me that we were
getting busy. Lay volunteers were helping patients navigate
through each department. I walked from one end of the arena to
the other asking each lead if they needed anything. I looked for
bottlenecks and I helped keep things moving. I’m usually on my
third cup of coffee at this point. I stopped to talk with friends and
colleagues as I got pulled in numerous directions.