One of its programs is the Mission of Mercy. Last year volunteers attended dentists and about two thousand people in Springdale offering free dental services.

Dr. Dwight Duckworth, of the Dental Association of the State of Arkansas, was responsible for the mission.
“Statewide the biggest problem with children’s dental health is the lack of access to a dentist,” she said.
He says that this is not so much the case in Northwest Arkansas as there are a significant number of dentists.

A statewide campaign is to increase the application of a dental sealant on the teeth of children as a method of prevention for caries.

A dental sealant is applied to the surface cracks and some teeth where 90% of childhood caries.

“It is important to diagnose dental problems of children because then it can cause tooth loss, it takes more work and more expensive,” said Duckworth.

“To prevent things when they’re young will help immensely to become adults,” he said.