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Dr. Samuel Swainhart and the team at Carefree Smile were pleased to volunteer at the annual free dentistry event, the Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy.  The December event, now in its seventh year and hosted at the AZ State Fairgrounds, delivered $1.9 million in free dental care by hundreds of volunteers.  Dr. Swainhart was joined by his team members, including two assistants and two dental hygienists.

“Giving back to the community is so important, and the Mission of Mercy provides such an excellent way for us to do that.  Arriving to the Coliseum in the early AM and seeing tents lined up with hundreds of people camping out for a chance at free dental care, is very humbling.”

Dr. Swainhart, a US Army veteran, has been involved with international mission trips to Haiti, Mexico, and Brazil.  He said, “You don’t have to leave Maricopa County to find the same desperate need that you might see in developing nations.  We have great need right here in our state.”

The Carefree Smile team provided nearly 50 dental extractions, as well as volunteered in the triage and radiograph areas of the event.  Other free procedures provided included cleanings, fillings, root canals, and dentures.

For more information about the Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy, please visit https://azmom.org.

Bethanie, Dr. Swainhart, and Gina in Oral Surgery

Gina, Kelly, Dr. Swainhart, Bethanie, Delea, and Gary at the Mission of Mercy

My dentist told me that my wisdom teeth are impacted.  What does that mean?

As wisdom teeth (also known as third molars) begin to emerge in one’s teenage years or early twenties, they may become stuck in bone and tissue if there is not enough room in the mouth for the teeth.  When a wisdom tooth is stuck in bone or tissue, this is called impaction or an impacted wisdom tooth.

What are the different types of impacted wisdom teeth?

A wisdom tooth can be impacted completely in the bone, partially impacted in the bone, or impacted in the gum tissue.  There are also different angles in which a wisdom tooth can be impacted.  For example a wisdom tooth could be impacted horizontally, diagonally, or vertically.  These different features contribute to the complications of leaving the wisdom teeth in place versus extraction.

Is it necessary to pull my impacted wisdom teeth?

Impacted wisdom teeth can be ticking time bombs, waiting to cause pain at the least possible time.  A wisdom tooth could go years without being infected until it suddenly flairs up causing pain, swelling, and infection.  If a wisdom tooth looks like it could become symptomatic in the future, it is often better to be proactive versus reactive in extracting.

What is an amalgam filling?

Amalgam fillings, sometimes referred to as mercury fillings, have been a restorative dental material for over 100 years.  The amalgam is a mixture of metals including elemental liquid mercury, silver, tin, and copper.

At three o’clock in an early April morning, Captain Samuel R. Swainhart of the US Army Dental Corps received a phone call he would not forget. It was the morning following the tragic 2014 shooting spree that had once again rocked the Fort Hood community, leaving four people dead and fourteen injured. Swainhart, a general dentist and the installation’s forensic dental officer, was called to provide identification of the shooter and victims.

Simone Biles Perfect Teeth and Smile

Simone Biles has become the Team USA all-star of the Rio Summer Olympic Games. Not only is she tremendously gifted, talented, and beautiful, but she also has a perfect smile. We know that in past photos she was seen wearing braces, and the investment certainly paid off.  Her teeth are perfectly aligned.

Are you looking forward to the “Greatest Show on Grass?”  The Waste Management Phoenix Open will be held January 30 to February 5, 2017 at TPC Scottsdale.