Changing Lives Through Free Dental Care

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Mary Katherine Henley

February 25, 2015Media Relations Marketing Coordinator

(580) 242-2750, Ext. 226

CHANGING LIVES THROUGH FREE DENTAL CARE

ENID,Okla.  EightAutry Technology Center dental assistant students participated in the Oklahoma Mission of Mercy in Tulsa for two days at the beginning of February.

“Not only did the students gain knowledge that is hard to find anywhere else, but a few are even coming away with employment,” Traci Gosney, dental assistant instructor at Autry said.

The Oklahoma Mission of Mercy is a two-day, free dental clinic for people of all ages. The event offered a variety of services including cleanings, fillings, extractions and anterior root canals at no cost to patients. Through volunteering, Autry students had the opportunity to practice procedures in a real life setting; all the while changing others lives.

“It is the perfect opportunity to give back to your community,” Brittany O’Connell, dental assistant student, said. “It helps us get experience in our work field. We need to know what it is going to be like.”

The environment was fast-paced and tiring. The students were on their feet for 12 hours at a time. But if you ask them, they would do it all over again without hesitation.

“We got to volunteer doing something we love and see the benefits happen right in front of our faces,” Courtney Longan, dental assistant student, said.

Longan told a story of one woman whose front teeth were completely decayed, and they were able to give her tooth-colored fillings. When she was handed a mirror to see her new teeth, the woman and Longan both cried. The woman’s grandson commented that he had never seen his grandmother smile before.

“It was amazing to see someone be so happy with something as simple as a smile,” Longan said.

This year’s Oklahoma Mission of Mercy involved 2,037 volunteers and 279 dentists who treated 1,609 patients and performed 12,766 procedures worth $1.5 million.

Autry Technology Center has been a part of the Enid community since 1967 and is one of 29 CareerTech schools across Oklahoma. The center has more than 25 career programs and offers a wide variety of evening and weekend short-term courses and certifications for many diverse career fields. Autry serves nearly 13,000 individuals each year, including many area employees who receive training through the Business and Industry Services Department that works with over 500 local businesses each year.

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