Tami Beaty, Director of the free dental clinic being held next month at the
Sandy Seventh day Adventist Church, understands that people may not be
prioritizing tooth health during these tough times.

“It’s been very apparent that there’s a lot of people that need this care,” she
said, noting the challenges of the pandemic and that money is likely going to
other needs.

The clinic, which first started in 2018 but was not held last year due to
COVID-19, will offer a variety of dental services, including fillings, extractions,
cleanings, x-rays and a new addition this year, crowns.

“We’re super excited about that,” Beaty said.

She also noted that people can get “flippers,” which are essentially dentures
for a small number of teeth where people may be missing them.
“That can really make a difference when someone is going to a job interview,”
Beaty said. “This is about people’s livelihoods, making their lives better,
fuller.”

The last clinic (in 2019) served more than 100 patients and this year
members of the Mount Hood Community College dental hygiene program will
be on hand to help as many people as possible.

“We are going to try to get people through as fast as we can,” Beaty said. “It
seems like every year we push harder to get people through.”

The clinic will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3 at the Sandy Seventh
day Adventist Church, 18575 SE Langensand Road in Sandy. Beaty noted that
patients should arrive early to start going through medical clearance for the
clinic. No appointments are necessary, and the event will be first come, first
serve for treatments.

There will be a limit of one service per patient, but Beaty added that during
the times when there aren’t as many patients, people can go through the
process again to receive further treatment. Root canals will not be offered.
The event will also feature free clothing for everyone who needs it, as well as
free books and free baby equipment. Beaty also hopes to offer free food boxes
during the clinic.

Beaty also added that if any dental assistants or dentists are interested in
volunteering for the event, or if anyone has questions about it, to contact her
at 503-698-4622.

Patients are asked to bring their owns masks to the clinic.