Volunteers provide free dental and blood pressure screenings to the community
By Steve Herring
Published in News on July 9, 2017 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Dr. Trevor Fraser of Raleigh prepares to extract one Jesse Artis' teeth that Artis said had been painful for some time. Artis was one of more than 30 people who visited the N.C. Baptists On Missions dental van visit Saturday sponsored by the Bear Creek Missionary Baptist Association.
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Dental hygienist Melinda Malone of Stovall Family Dentistry cleans the teeth of Selletine Foster on Saturday.
Jesse Artis was hungry.
He did not know what he wanted, but he knew it had to be soft -- at least for the moment.
After all, he was fresh out of the dental chair and now minus three teeth that had been causing him problems.
Artis was among the more than 30 people to visit the N.C. Baptists On Missions dental van visit Saturday at the Bear Creek Missionary Baptist Association headquarters, 1800 S. Slocumb St.
Artis said he arrived at 5 a.m. only to find two others had beat him there by an hour.
However, he said he did not mind waiting if it meant getting rid of a tooth that had been hurting him for some time and two others that were broken.
"I think this is wonderful for the community," Artis said. "A lot of people can't afford insurance, and this is very nice for the community -- it sure is."
Artis said he had been nervous because he thought it would be painful.
"But the only thing that hurt is when they gave the numb medicine (shot)," he said. "But as far as them pulling it, I didn't even know they were finished with it."
The visit was the idea of the Rev. Malcom Lewis, pastor of St. Stephens Missionary Baptist Church, a member of the Bear Creek Missionary Baptist Association.
He took the idea to Joe Jackson, association moderator, who agreed it was worthy project.
"I have been exposed to this organization ( N.C. Baptists On Missions) for about 12 years," Lewis said. " So the Bear Creek Missionary Baptist Association, which is composed of 27 churches, is sponsoring it."
The dental van visit catered to those without dental insurance and there were bag lunch for those who showed up.
Seniors were the target demographic for the visit, but children were also welcomed.
Registration started around 9 a.m. and the visit wrapped up around 3 p.m.
It included blood pressure tests, which were part of the process required in order to bee seen by a dentist, blood sugar screenings and teeth cleanings.
All of the dental work was done by local dentists and dental hygienists who volunteered. Another 20 to 25 members of the association volunteered as well.
The bulk of the sign-ins were for extractions or fillings, Lewis said.
All of the services were free.
"We appreciate their (volunteers), because we know time is valuable, particularly on a day off," Lewis said.
Jackson thanked Lewis and the churches in the association for their support which enables such projects as the dental van visit to be held.
"We are always trying to do something to enhance our community," he said. "You can't talk faith without living faith, to be an example. We don't want to just sit here. We really want to be involved in making positive change in our community."
The medical/dental bus ministry of the N.C. Baptists on Missions began in 1989. The dental van is based in Cary.
The N.C. Baptists on Missions offer the use of the mobile medical/dental units to Baptist and non-Baptist churches and service organizations within the state who wish to help people in need.