Mission Moment - triumph over tooth trauma

Mission Moment - triumph over tooth trauma

We assisted a female patient in the dental clinic who was having many problems with pain and unease. A friend that she had been providing care passed away, leaving her traumatized. She said that experience was a wake-up call for her to see about her own health, starting with her teeth. She hadn’t been to a dentist in years and didn’t have dental insurance. She knew she needed some bad teeth taken care of, because they were causing her problems with pain and swelling, making it difficult to eat. Some friends helped her with transportation and finances to come to the clinic to have her bad teeth removed. Even with the resources, she said that she was experiencing so much fear and anxiety, if the pain hadn’t gotten so bad, she still would have put it off. When she got to the clinic, she told the Clinic Manager about her anxiety. The staff reassured her that the dentist, Cory McLeary, would take time with her, go over all procedures, use anesthetic to ease the pain of the tooth extraction, and would refer her to an oral surgeon if he felt she needed surgical extraction. When the dentist saw her, he was able to sooth her fears and reassure her. It turned out that she did need to go to the Oral Surgeon. With the support of the Tri-County Dental Society, a local Oral Surgeon sees clinic patients when needed at a discount fee. We supply the X-ray and patient notes, and they reduce the cost of the procedure. The Oral Surgeon successfully removed the two teeth that had been causing the patient so much pain and anxiety. A couple weeks after we saw her at the clinic, she sent us a very sweet note that said, “Thanks to the Shoals Handy Clinic for helping me get my teeth extraction done on June 12, 2025. I feel so much better now. Thanks a lot for helping me. God bless you all.”

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