PHOTO BY RENEE ROSENSTEEL

More than 1,000 volunteers are needed to help with Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh’s annual two-day clinic that provides free dental, vision and hearing services to over 1,500 people in need of this care.

The event is taking place Nov. 1-2 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown. Doors to the clinic open at 6 a.m. and will close when capacity is reached for each day. All services are provided at no charge to patients ages 2 and older, and there is no income, eligibility or preregistration requirements.

The free clinic initially provided dental services only; last year, it offered vision and audiology services for the first time, providing 681 eyeglasses and 229 sets of top-of-the-line hearing aids.

Among the dental services provided are exams, cleanings, minor restorative fillings, extractions, root canal treatments on select teeth, oral hygiene instruction, and a limited number of temporary partial dental appliances.

“Dental volunteers in particular are critically needed, as the number of dentists and dental technicians participating directly impacts the number of patients we can help over the course of a two-day clinic,” says Keith Young, chairman of Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh.

The clinic will also offer free eye exams, eyeglass fittings and free eyeglasses. Hearing care will include fittings to receive free hearing aids.

Mercy of Mission Pittsburgh is seeking vision and hearing professionals to volunteer as well as general volunteers to act as ambassadors, assisting with hospitality, check-in, on-site administrative tasks, setup, breakdown, and more. No experience is required, and volunteers will participate in a training session before the event. Meals will be provided for volunteers.

Dental professionals have an added incentive for volunteering: Dentists, dental hygienists and certified dental assistants can receive up to three hours of Continuing Education Credits for their work with Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh.

“We have the space and the chairs to accommodate more dental volunteers, and we are asking the Western Pennsylvania dental community to commit to volunteering. Together we can ensure that every patient who visits the clinic can receive care,” Young says.