Kansas Speedway site of ‘M.A.S.H.” style dental clinic

Sarah Allen, UNMC dental student, pulls the tooth of a woman.

It wasn’t something you’d expect to see at a racetrack, but last month six UNMC College of Dentistry dental students and a faculty member spent three days providing free dental care to about 2,500 adults and children at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.

All of the dental students are from Kansas, a state served by the UNMC College of Dentistry. Kansas has no dental school.

Some patients showed up at midnight to get a place in a line that stretched for blocks. Once the event began, patients were bussed to the racetrack infield where 80 dental chairs and equipment were set up in two large race car garages. There was no air conditioning.

From cleaning to filling to pulling teeth and doing root canals, the UNMC contingent worked “MASH style,” as they called it. One of the organizers of the Kansas Mission of Mercy event was Jeff Stasch, D.D.S., a 1984 graduate of the UNMC College of Dentistry and a member of the Kansas Dental Association.

UNMC dental students Sarah Allen and Michael Browning pose outside their “dental offices” at the racetrack.

“The idea was to take care of people in painful need,” said James Jenkins, D.D.S., UNMC faculty member. “It was very rewarding and very wonderful. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

He said in addition to routine care, students had the chance to pull some teeth under an oral surgeon’s supervision. “The students were well prepared and I can’t speak highly enough of how well prepared and professional the students were. I was very gratified by that. It was a real positive experience,” Dr. Jenkins said.

The UNMC College of Dentistry event volunteers are: (left to right) Sara Budden-Meng, Travis Antholz, Sarah Allen, James Jenkins, D.D.S., Michael Browning, David Brown and Julie Humphries.

“Being a junior, there was so much I hadn’t seen in oral surgery,” said UNMC student Sarah Allen of Hays, Kan., who volunteered for the event. “It was so neat to help people. Even though many were nervous, they were very thankful for our help. It was great to make an impact.”

UNMC dental student, Julie Humphries from Topeka, Kan., said she gained a greater respect for her profession after seeing so many dental personnel volunteering for the weekend.

“I feel as though I provided a very needed service to individuals who had no other means of obtaining dental care,” she said. “Our profession is one in which we have the opportunity to help people everyday; however, the services provided at the Kansas Mission of Mercy not only helped the less fortunate, they helped us recognize the potential of many caring individuals.”

Other dental students who participated were: Michael Browning, Travis Antholz, David Brown and Sara Budden-Meng.