Pittsburgh clinic to provide free dental, vision and hearing care

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A clinic at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center will provide free dental, vision and hearing care to anyone who needs it next month.

Last year, Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh said it served over 1,700 patients at its annual free clinic . This year, the nonprofit says it has over 1,500 volunteers ready to treat patients at the convention center on Nov. 1-2.

All services will be provided for free to patients ages 2 and up. There are no income, eligibility or preregistration requirements to receive care, Mission of Mercy says.

Mission of Mercy Co-founder Daniel Pituch, who is also the chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery at UPMC Mercy and UPMC Shadyside, said the nonprofit is a reminder that Pittsburghers truly care for their neighbors.

"With over 1,500 clinical and general volunteers signing up to give their time, this year's clinic will once again provide our most vulnerable community members access to proper dental care to improve their health," Pituch said. "No one should have to suffer in pain due to lack of insurance coverage or financial constraints. Oral health problems can become life-threatening if left untreated, so it's important for those who need dental care to come see us."

Dental procedures and treatments that the clinic provides include dental exams, cleanings, minor restorative fillings, extractions and root canal treatments on some teeth. In 2022, the nonprofit added hearing and vision care, including free hearing aids and glasses, to the services it provides at the clinic.

Mission of Mercy says income disparities coupled with inflation and the out-of-pocket costs of hearing aids and glasses mean many people delay getting the care they need. And postponing oral care can sometimes end with a trip to a hospital emergency department, which isn't equipped to provide dental care.

Doors to the clinic open at 6 a.m. and will close when capacity is reached that day.