SonBridge Shares Love of Christ Through Free Dental Care Fair

By Kimberley Kuzma

Strategic Communications Manager, SonBridge Center for Better Living

Over a long weekend in May, 157 people with challenging, unaddressed dental issues found relief from their pain at a free community dental fair sponsored by the SonBridge Dental Clinic in College Place, Washington. 

During the 3-day dental fair, volunteers provided 749 procedures, sending patients home free from dental pain and on the road to a better quality of life. 

Nearly 25 percent of Walla Walla County residents are only covered by state dental insurance, and many more have no dental insurance. Of the few dentists who do accept state insurance, many have family stipulations that limit who can become a patient. This lack of available care results in decay and infection that affects people’s overall health. Because patients aren't able to see a dentist, they often end up in the emergency room.

“When I moved here two years ago it was hard to get any care,” says Peggy, dental fair patient. “I’m a heart patient and I couldn’t get a doctor, I couldn’t get a therapist, I couldn’t get a wide variety of things that I had before.”

But at the dental fair, Peggy not only found a solution for her chipped tooth, she also had an opportunity to see what a caring community of people can do when they come together to help those in need. 

“I found the whole thing absolutely amazing because everyone that I saw was happy to be there,” Peggy says. “The people that were working there, the people that were waiting, and the translators, they were really happy."

Forty volunteers from around the Northwest came together to fill many different roles during the fair – dental professionals, sterilizers, greeters, translators, parking attendants and registration clerks worked together to help the weekend flow smoothly. The fair was supported by Caring Hands Worldwide, who provided all of the mobile dental equipment and supplies. 

One volunteer, David Hernandez, so appreciated the care he received at a previous SonBridge dental fair that he returned this year as a volunteer. He spent the fair taking patients’ blood pressure and translating (nearly half of the patients at this year’s fair spoke Spanish).

“Coming from [being] a patient, to be able to give back as a volunteer gives me the opportunity to kind of pay back,” Hernandez says. “Personally, that gives me some value. I’m still a person that’s viable in this community and can do something. That’s what this means to me.”

SonBridge Dental Clinic manager, Lorinda Shelden, was instrumental in putting the fair together. She volunteers at free dental fairs throughout the Northwest and is passionate about giving back to the community.

“Dental pain is a downward spiral,” says Shelden. “It’s hard to pay bills when you can’t work. You can’t work when you can’t think. You can’t drive when you’re on drugs because of the pain. We held this fair to help stop that pain spiral.”

The SonBridge Dental Clinic opened at SonBridge Center for Better Living in 2013. Since then, the clinic has provided accessible and affordable dental care to thousands of underserved patients in the community.

This year, the clinic has been struggling to find dental providers to staff the clinic. Without providers, a fully equipped, four-operatory clinic sits empty. This leaves a major community need unaddressed and many patients suffering with very few solutions available.

Dental fair volunteers helped patients to find more than just dental care, they met patients where they are at, without shaming them for their situations. This genuine care gave patients a sense of connection that helped calm their anxieties. They also found Jesus, some through the caring hands meeting their dental needs, others more directly through conversation.

One patient in particular was experiencing extreme anxiety about her procedure when her dentist asked her, “Do you know a man named Jesus?” Hearing the story of what Jesus has done for her dentist brought her the sense of calm she needed to go ahead with her dental procedure without fear. 

Just as Jesus met people in their pain, connected with them, and met their needs in order to open their hearts to His love, we at SonBridge care for our community, showing and sharing the love of Jesus to others.

To learn more about how SonBridge cares for our community, go to sonbridge.org