Nursing students collaborate with the School of Dentistry at a free clinic at the Universities at Shady Grove, helping provide services to those who lack access to or finances for dental care.
Photo: Nursing students pose for a picture at the Mission of Mercy clinic. *
When registration opened for the University of Maryland School of Dentistry’s (UMSOD) spring Mission of Mercy (MOM) clinic, the slots were gone almost immediately.
“I think we had at least 1,000 people who signed up,” said Halima Karim, DDS, FAGD, FACD, director and clinical instructor at UMSOD’s Shady Grove Dental Clinic. The event could accommodate up to 90.
The gap between how many people need affordable dental care in the Washington suburbs and how many chairs exist to treat them is the whole reason the Mission of Mercy program exists. On April 17, UMSOD — with help from University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) — made a dent with the fourth Mission of Mercy held at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, Md.
UMSOD and Catholic Charities formalized their partnership in fall 2022, holding the first Shady Grove Mission of Mercy in April 2023. The program, which provides free dental care to underserved adults, now runs twice a year at Shady Grove. About 55 students, a dozen faculty, and several volunteer dentists treated more than 70 patients at the spring event, providing mostly extractions and fillings.
Ten nursing students from UMSON conducted health screenings including blood pressure, temperature, and respiratory rate as patients entered the lobby.
* Photo from Spring 2025 semester