The Iowa Dental Foundation hosted its annual free dental clinic program, the Iowa Mission of Mercy, in Coralville for the first time, bringing a range of dental services at no cost to 580 patients on Friday.

Jason Niegsch, one of the chiefs at the clinic, has been a part of the program for 15 years. The program’s mission is important to him, he said, which keeps him coming back year after year. 

“It’s a chance to give back to Iowans and help improve their quality of life when they don’t have access to care,” he said. 

The clinic ran from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Coralville, and Niegsch said it resulted in attendees saving over $500,000.

According to the Iowa Mission of Mercy, the program is an annual dental clinic coordinated by the Iowa Dental Foundation. The program travels around Iowa to provide free dental care to those in need.

The free clinic first came to Iowa in 2008, according to the website. Since then, more than 18,000 Iowa adults and children have been provided with almost $13.5 million in free dental services.

Jessica Mason, communications and sales manager for the Iowa Dental Association, said the association is the separate parent organization of the foundation, which is itself a nonprofit. 

Mason said patients were to be welcomed on a first come, first-serve basis, meaning attendees didn’t need to make an appointment in advance. 

She said the University of Iowa’s College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics supports the Iowa Mission of Mercy. 

According to Mason, over 1,000 volunteers came from all over Iowa to assist during the Coralville clinic. Many of the dentists are UI College of Dentistry alumni, but there are also hundreds of others from outside of UI.

Licensed dental professionals volunteered their time and expertise to help treat patients. Treatments included cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canals, X-rays, and a number of partial dentures. The clinic couldn’t provide crowns, implants, dentures, or complicated wisdom teeth extractions because of limited time and resources. 

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In a news release, Zach Kouri, a chief at the clinic, said if patients have been struggling with insurance, cost, or getting an appointment, this event is available to them.

“Our goal is to help as many people as possible with their most urgent oral health issues and send them home with healthier smiles, less pain, and renewed confidence.” 

According to the news release, professionals started with an initial screening to prepare a plan for treatment. Because of the expected number of patients, clinic workers anticipated a wait time of six to eight hours. 

Patients who arrived to receive treatment had the opportunity for free childcare. The clinic was open to people of all ages, with those under the age of 18 required to have a parent or guardian accompanying them, according to the news release. The clinic required no documentation or proof of income or insurance, and had translators available to aid communication.

For those who volunteered at the clinic, the experience was gratifying. 

Tanya Tjarks, a co-lead in coding and charting procedures at the clinic, has been a volunteer at the clinic for 10 years and takes pride in what the program does.

“It’s incredible, the amount of teamwork from all of the volunteers here,” Tjarks said. “Everybody is just ready to jump in and do whatever it takes. It truly does take a village, and it’s been so fulfilling.”

Tjarks said dental insurance is a benefit few can have reliable access to. In many cases, people have an annual cap of $1,000 available for treatment. 

Helaina Hilliard is a first-year UI dental student and volunteer. Her first experience with the program was four years ago in Des Moines, giving dentists what they needed as they worked. At this year’s clinic, Hilliard worked in sterilization, assisted in patient flow, and helped wherever else she was needed. 

“This is the most rewarding experience ever because everyone is just so thankful. It’s really a blessing to me to see them walk out of here free from pain,” Hilliard said.