LAS CRUCES - Residents can get free dental care at mobile clinics slated to begin this fall. 

The endeavor, Happy Smiles on the Road, puts students in Doña Ana Community College's Dental Clinic in a portable dental unit, to serve some of the county's most vulnerable residents.

The portable dental unit includes a dental chair, cart, X-ray and other equipment.

The equipment was purchased through a grant from Delta Dental. 

Delta Dental Board Member and longtime Las Cruces dentist Ralph McElmurry, presented the $30,000 check to DACC President Renay Scott and Dental Hygiene Director Elmer Gonzalez on Tuesday.

“There was a shortage of hygienists in town when I came,” McElmurry said. “The only training program in the state was in Albuquerque at the University of New Mexico, that was it. Local dentists and I began talking around 1982 and started approaching NMSU and state legislators to start a local program.”

The unit will travel to locations such as Lynn Community School and the Amador Health Clinic, formerly known as St. Luke's.

The Amador Health Clinic is in the Community of Hope, which provides services to the homeless and near-homeless. Lynn is part of the Las Cruces Public School’s Community Schools program.

NMSU Chancellor Dan Arvizu said the partnership fulfills a mission of education, research and outreach.

"One of the things that I love about the mobile lab is the idea that we can go to others, they don’t have to come to us and we get to the people in need," Arvizu said.

Amanda Rivera, a student in the DACC Dental Clinic program, said she is excited to practice her skill set, while also helping others.

“We’re only confined to a clinical setting right now so it’s going to give us a lot of positive experiences," she said.

Gonzalez, the DACC dental hygiene program director, said students will be better prepared in the real world.

“This initiative provides DACC students the opportunity to gain ample experience in the field by practicing their skills under faculty supervision while providing community service,” he said. 

According to a DACC news release, 62 percent of Doña Ana County adults had a dental visit in the preceding year, according to a 2016 report from New Mexico’s Indicator-Based Information System.

The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that 18.6 percent of New Mexico children had one or more oral health problems in 2016, according to the press release.

Dental care is vital for children as well. According to the CDC, tooth decay (cavities) is one of the most common chronic conditions of childhood in the U.S. Untreated tooth decay can cause pain and infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking, playing and learning.

Jacqueline Devine can be reached at 575-541-5476, jdevine@lcsun-news.com or @JackieIsDevine on Twitter.