Volunteer Information

Thank you for volunteering for the New Mexico Mission of Mercy (NM MOM). Your generosity and support of this program will provide an invaluable service to hundreds of individuals in New Mexico and the surrounding communities.

Volunteer Registration

If you are interested in volunteering for NM MOM, please register.

Online Volunteer Registration Form       Print and Send Volunteer Registration Form
Volunteer Registration Instructions

Volunteer appreciation suppers will be held each evening at 6:30 pm. Please indicate on your registration form whether you will be participating, on Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday. There is no cost for the suppers.

Dates/Times

Thursday, October 14: Clinic Set Up
Friday, October 15: Dental Clinic
Saturday, October 16: Dental Clinic
Sunday, October 17: Clinic Teardown

NM MOM Hours

Thursday, October 14
The dental clinic will be set-up between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm. Treating dentists and hygienists, if they so choose, are encouraged to prepare their treatment area between 4:00-5:00 pm.

Friday, October 15 and
Saturday October 16
NM MOM will open the doors to patients at 5:00 am. If you are working in patient registration or in triage, please be at the dental clinic by 4:30 am.

Dentists, hygienists, assistants, and community workers are registered to start their day at 5:00 am. Early clinic training will take place at 4:30 am. Later volunteers will be trained on an individual basis.

Sunday, October 17
The dental clinic will be torn-down between 7:00 am and 2:00 pm.

Information for Public Health Dental Professionals

Public health dental professionals can obtain malpractice insurance coverage through the State Tort Claims Act for the NM MOM event by completing paperwork online at www.NMServes.org. On the right side of this website welcome page, click 'Register Here' and accept the terms and conditions.

Dentists and Dental Hygienists from Outside New Mexico

Dentists and dental hygienists, with a license in good standing from their respective state, may volunteer for charity programs in New Mexico without the need for a temporary license. New Mexico law allows dentists and hygienists to volunteer for an event such as NM MOM for five consecutive days per year.

The NMDF needs to provide the New Mexico State Board of Dental Dentistry with a list of visiting dentists and hygienists by Monday, September 14, 2010. This will enable the board to verify the license status of out-of-state volunteers for the October NM MOM.

If you are interested in volunteering and live outside of New Mexico, please register in advance to allow time to comply with New Mexico Board of Dentistry rules.

Pass NM MOM information on to potential volunteers

Encourage friends and colleagues to volunteer. In particular, dentists suggest that your assistants, hygienists, and office staff to join you at the NM MOM event.

Directions/Parking



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NM MOM Volunteer Hotel Accommodations

NM MOM has made special arrangements with two local hotels.
The Albuquerque Marriott and the Nativo Lodge. Links to both properties are listed below.
The special room rates will be held until a month prior to the event.
Please make your reservations as soon as you can finalize your travel plans. Thank you for volunteering


Marriott Albuquerque
click to visit site


NM MOM Nativo Lodge Reservations
click to visit site

If you have any questions, please contact:
Karen L. Knauf
Program Coordinator
(505) 681-2188
kknauf@nmdental.org

What to Expect

More than 100 portable dental chairs, lights and units will be set up to treat patients. The chairs will have reclining ability and the units will have access to water and suction.

What to Wear

Dress is casual - everything from scrubs to shorts - whatever is most comfortable for you. Remember comfortable and supportive, closed-toed shoes!

All volunteers will be given a NM MOM t-shirt, and nonclinical volunteers are encouraged to wear it during the clinic.

Meals

Breakfast, lunch, and supper will be provided at no cost for volunteers.

Volunteer appreciation suppers will be held each evening at 6:30 pm. Please indicate whether you will be participating in the suppers on your registration form.

The NM MOM clinic will have portable dental units that include a patient chair, free standing light, and operative unit connected to water and vacuum lines. NM MOM will also have some limited instruments and dental supplies available.

Items that NM MOM will Supply for Your Use

Gloves
Masks
Disposable prophy angles
Prophy paste
Fluoride
Air/water syringe tips
Sealant and supplies
Saliva ejectors and HVE tips
2x2 and 4x4 gauze
Kleenex
Liquid hand sanitizer
Patient bibs
Disinfecting wipes/surface disinfectant
Sterilizer bags
Permanent markers
Needles
Q-tips and topical anesthetic
Suture
Cotton rolls, dry angles
Instrument trays
Articulating ribbon
Toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss
Safety glasses for patients
Chair covers
Sharps containers and red disposal bags

What Dentists and Dental Hygienists Should Bring

Bring anything that will make you happy and productive! Volunteer dentists and hygienists who bring their favorite instruments, set-ups and supplies, are usually the happiest.
All instruments that are clearly marked will be returned to their rightful owners.

Checklists are provided for volunteer dentists and dental hygienists on suggested equipment and supplies that will be helpful to bring.

Personal Dental Instruments during the Clinic

The Expo New Mexico Complex will be secure at night.

If you will be in Albuquerque on Thursday, October 14, you can bring your dental stools and other equipment to the clinic site between 4:00 and 5:00 pm to set up your operatory.

If you are volunteering both Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16, you may leave your equipment by your chair.

If you are working a half day, talk with your morning/afternoon volunteer partner to determine whether he/she is interested in sharing instruments.

Instrument Sterilization

As you use instruments - wipe and lube them.

Disengage all needles and sharps, and discard them in the red containers where you are working. No needles or sharps are allowed in the sterilization area.

The tray for unsterile instruments should be labeled with your chair number and name. Please help us make sure sterile instruments packs make it back to their rightful owners!

Place your instruments on the tray provided for sterilization.

Take your instrument tray to the sterilization area. Your instruments will remain together throughout the sterilization process and your sterile, bagged instruments will be returned to your chair when finished.

NM MOM Coordinators

Throughout dental clinic, red-vested NM MOM Coordinators are assigned to each area and are available to help. These Coordinators have radios, and can readily communicate with other areas of the NM MOM clinic.

The lead clinical NM MOM coordinators are Larry Lubar, DDS, and Byron Wall, DDS. The lead nonclinical NM MOM coordinator is Karen Knauf.

Patient Flow

As patients enter the clinic, they will fill out paperwork and be assessed by a triage dentist. The dentist will list the chief dental complaint and priority on the patient chart. NM MOM's goal is to relieve pain and to address the most urgent needs. Unless advised by NM MOM Coordinators, only treat the patient's number one priority.

Patients will be escorted to the treatment area, with the escort carrying the patient chart and number card.

As patients enter the treatment area, they will proceed to the Anesthesia Department. The time that an anesthetic is administered is to be noted on the patient's chart. The goal is to have patients numb before they sit in the treatment chairs. Patient flow, however, can affect the timing of this process and patients may need to be administered additional anesthetic.

After treating a patient, a treatment coder will come to the patient's chair and review the patient's chart with the dentist/hygienist to ensure all treatments provided are listed on the chart.

The treatment coder will identify an escort to walk with the patient to either the patient waiting area or the exit area.

All treatment stations will have colored cards to help providers communicate with community workers controlling patient traffic and flow:

• Raise the Green Card when you're ready for your next patient.
• Raise the Red Card when you're finished treating the patient.
• Raise the Yellow Card if you have a question or need assistance.

Emergencies

If you have an emergency, don't hesitate to contact a red-vested NM MOM Coordinator.

Dentists in the Oral Surgery Department are available to help. In addition, an EMS provider is on site.

Patient Treatment Charts / Number Cards

As patients are seated, retrieve their patient chart and number card, and keep together.

Print on the patient chart and in particular, print your name. Do not use abbreviations.

Use a Blue Pen on patient charts - NO BLACK INK.

Make sure all treatment provided is listed on the chart. Documentation is important for patient tracking and also for NM MOM evaluation.

At the completion of treatment, and after review of chart with treatment coder, the treatment coder will take the chart and number card, and give to the patient's escort.

Patient Treatment

Your dental unit will be equipped with clean water and a suction reservoir. Maintenance volunteers will be coming through periodically to empty and fill these reservoirs - please give them access.

If you get an exposure on a posterior tooth, call for an extraction. We do not want to pulp cap and risk having it flare up in six months. These patients will not be able to afford the treatment to fix that situation.

Endodontic procedures on anterior teeth can be done, as well as critical posterior abutments (if the condition of the teeth is favorable).

DYCAL and PULP CAPS are not a good service at NM MOM.

If your patient needs an extraction, a NM MOM Coordinator can get the patient into the Oral Surgery Department or locate a roving surgeon to help.

Prescriptions

Please bring your DEA number for prescription writing purposes. NM MOM will have prescription forms available.

NM MOM will have a pharmacist on site with limited drugs available for dispensing. Check with a NM MOM Pharmacist for the list of drugs onsite.

Personal Dental Instruments

The Expo New Mexico Complex will be secure at night.

If you will be in Albuquerque on Thursday, October 14, you can bring your dental stools and other equipment to the clinic site between 4:00 and 5:00 pm to set up your operatory.

If you are volunteering both Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16, you may leave your equipment by your chair.

If you are working a half day, talk with your morning/afternoon volunteer partner to determine whether he/she is interested in sharing instruments.

Instrument Sterilization

As you use instruments - wipe and lube them.

Disengage all needles and sharps, and discard them in the red containers where you are working. No needles or sharps are allowed in the sterilization area.

The tray for unsterile instruments should be labeled with your chair number and name. Please help us make sure sterile instruments packs make it back to their rightful owners!

Place your instruments on the tray provided for sterilization.

Take your instrument tray to the sterilization area. Your instruments will remain together throughout the sterilization process and your sterile, bagged instruments will be returned to your chair when finished.

Lunches

Stagger your lunch breaks.

Prior to your break, arrange with the NM MOM Coordinator in your area to have another dentist/dental hygienist move into your chair so patient flow isn't disrupted.

Questions? Please contact:

Prior to the 2010 Albuquerque NM MOM:

Larry Lubar, DDS
NM MOM Event Chair
Phone: 505.884.9793
larrylubardds@qwestoffice.net
or
Karen Knauf, NM MOM Program Coordinator
Phone: 505.681.2188
kknauf@nmdental.org

At the NM MOM event, contact a red-vested NM MOM coordinator in your area with any questions or problems.

PLEASE BE FLEXIBLE,
and Thank You for Making a Difference!!

Frequently Asked Questions