More than 6,000 patients, most of them seeking dental care, packed a free seven-day clinic held in Los Angeles last week, at times overwhelming the 250 dentists, oral surgeons, hygienists, and dental assistants who volunteered their services. Is this a sign of things to come for other states that have cut Medicaid benefits? "It's pretty chaotic, but it's controlled chaos," San Gabriel, CA, dentist Daniel Cheng, D.D.S., told DrBicuspid.com during a break on April 30 -- a day he treated 600 patients.Due to the sheer volume, patients were limited to one procedure. And the sponsoring organization -- Remote Area Medical -- fell short of its goal because of a shortage of volunteer medical professionals. "I promised everybody they could get one treatment. Some have 20 cavities, so I have to ask, 'What's your priority? Whatever bothers you, I'll take care of it,' " Dr. Cheng explained. "If we can save a tooth, we'll save it."
CLICK HERE for the full article
