- Dental and medical professional volunteers needed
- Register to volunteer
- Hotels
- Where to park
- What to bring
- What not to bring
- Stools
- Volunteer meals
- What to wear
- Out-of-state licensed volunteers
- Spreading MOM word to your local media
A special thank you to all the volunteers who have helped us deliver brighter smiles to more than 9,300 people at WDA and WDA Foundation Mission of Mercy events in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
WDA Mission of Mercy 2013
This year marks the fifth Mission of Mercy for the WDA and WDA Foundation. We expect to reach 10,000 patient visits and top $5.5 million in donated care at this year’s event due to the incredible support of our volunteers and donors over the years.
While we don’t want to celebrate a broken system that leaves Wisconsin residents without needed dental care, we do want to recognize and show appreciation to the volunteers and donors who have supported all five events. Volunteer name badges will indicate the number of WDA MOMs an individual has participated in and those present at all five will display a ribbon. A special sign will recognize and thank sponsors and donors who have supported all five WDA events, along with the comprehensive list of everyone contributing to the 2013 event. A list of the five-year volunteers and donors will be posted on WDA.org in July.
- Setup: Thursday, June 27
- Treatment: Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29. Doors open 5:30 a.m. Patients seen on first-come, first-served basis with approximately 1,000 individuals treated each day. Patient quota typically reached by 8 a.m., so come early!
- Teardown: Saturday, June 29 from 7 – 10 p.m. and Sunday, June 30 from 8 a.m. – noon
- Location: Badger High School, 220 E. South St., Lake Geneva, Walworth County
Dental and medical professionals needed
Dental and medical professionals may work in any of the areas listed after their job title or may choose to volunteer in a non-dental position. All dentists and dental hygienists delivering patient care must hold a current Wisconsin license. Every dental/medical volunteer listed below must have current Heptavax shots if working any of the dental/medical positions. All work is done under local anesthetic; no nitrous or sedation will be available.
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Lake Lawn Resort website | map
Approximately 15-minute drive – 2400 East Geneva St., Highway 50 East, Delavan
800-338-5253
$133 – $283 per night depending on room type
Available Thurs/Fri/Sat nights
Reserve by 5/28/2013
Geneva Ridge Resort website | map
Approximately 10-minute drive – W4240 State Road 50, Lake Geneva
800-225-5558
$119 per night
Available Thurs/Fri/Sat nights
Reserve by 4/26/2013
Harbor Shores on Lake Geneva website | map
Approximately 5-minute drive – 300 Wrigley Drive, Lake Geneva
888-746-7371
Park View $99 Wed/Thurs per night; $149 Fri/Sat per night
Lake View $139 Wed/Thurs per night; $169 Fri/Sat per night
Available Wed/Thurs/Fri/Sat nights
Reserve by 5/12/2013
*You must mention Wisconsin Dental Association Mission of Mercy when booking to receive group rate.
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Parking at the school is limited, so volunteers are asked to park at a remote site just a few minutes away and take a shuttle to and from the school. There will be no restroom facilities at the remote parking location. More details will be shared as they become available.
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The same Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Centers for Disease Control guidelines that apply in the dental office also apply at MOM. We will provide masks and gloves for all volunteers needing them and disposable gowns for use in oral surgery and hygiene. If you have favorites, bring a supply of them for your personal use. There are no guarantees we’ll have a specific product, because we get supplies donated as much as possible. Clinicians should bring protective eye wear. Eye wear is only provided for those working in sterilization.
We want your experience to be as enjoyable as possible and for some that means using a specific instrument or material when working. Therefore, we encourage you to bring your own. There is a process in place to help ensure you get your personal instruments back after they have been sterilized. Bringing your instruments in cassettes will help save time otherwise each instrument will be individually bagged.
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There will be a stool for every dentist and dental hygienist working in restorative, endodontics and hygiene. However, there won’t be enough stools for all the assistants. Please consider bringing a stool or two from your office, especially if you have a comfortable one that you like to sit on.
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Breakfast and lunch will be provided for volunteers on site in a break room away from the clinic floor. Please indicate any life-threatening food allergies on your volunteer registration. Other dietary needs should also be listed, but because we most of the food is donated we can’t guarantee that we can provide for every special dietary need.
Only water in a covered cup or bottle is allowed on the clinic floor. No open-top beverages will be allowed. Some bottled water will be available, but you can help protect the environment by bringing your own covered, refillable water bottle.
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Dress comfortably. You will be on doing a lot of walking or standing on a hardwood gymnasium floor, so comfortable, close-toed shoes are a must.
Clinical volunteers will receive a scrub top, and non-clinical volunteers a T-shirt. Please wear the shirts provided so you can be easily identified as a volunteer. You can wear pants, jeans, shorts or skirts – whichever you prefer. Shorts and skirts should be of a length that is appropriate for a professional atmosphere, family setting and shows respect for patients. Every effort is made to maintain a comfortable inside temperature, but it is next to impossible for it to be comfortable for everyone in such a large group. Therefore, you may choose to wear layers under the volunteer scrub top or T-shirt provided or a sweater or jacket that allows your volunteer shirt to show. Having the option to change into shorts and/or pants is also a good idea.
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Out-of-state licensed volunteers
All dentists and hygienists volunteering must have a current Wisconsin license. If you are volunteering and hold a license from another state, you may obtain a temporary no-fee charity permit through the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing.
Click the following links for more information and to download an application for:
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Spreading MOM word to your local media
If you volunteered at the fourth WDA Mission of Mercy event in Madison in June 2012, help build local media awareness of this important charitable care event and the barriers to dental care faced by many Wisconsin residents by submitting a letter to the editor or press release identifying local volunteers from your community.
Add a sentence or two about your MOM volunteer experience in to personalize the letter. Note letters are usually limited to 300 words.
Fill-in volunteers’ names, cities of residence and add a personal quote.
You also can also submit a photo with your letter or release. Download MOM 2012 photos on Flickr (see image gallery at right).
