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11 P.M. — That is what time Tyenisha arrived the night before the Remote Area Medical (RAM) Clinic in Miami, Florida. The night before the clinic she slept in her car. She wanted to guarantee she’d be first in line to see the dentist. And that she’d get the free dental care for her infected tooth. She was hoping for a tooth removal from RAM’s dentists.
RAM partnered with Haleon and CVS to bring the three-chair dental trailer to help patients across the country — including the clinic in Miami, Florida. In early November, Tyenisha left work and camped out in the parking lot overnight. She heard about RAM and became determined to get the care she so desperately needed.
An Early Birthday Gift — Free Dental Care
Tyenisha shared that with her birthday coming up in just a few days, she was excited to have her tooth taken care of before her celebration. Her birthday gift this year? Getting a tooth removal to be pain-free after six months of constant pain.
“I have a birthday coming up and I just want my teeth to be healthy. So, thank God it was so fast, quick, easy — free,” Tyenisha said. “Like you can’t beat it at all. And everybody in there, the whole staff, everybody was so nice. And it was at a fast pace too, and they were very patient. I’m excited.”
Like millions of Americans, the cost of dental care prevented her from accessing the care she needed. Without dental insurance, she was unable to get her tooth repaired before it began causing near-constant pain for six months.
After the examination, the dentists opted to extract the bothersome tooth. Tyenisha was concerned that having the tooth removed would impact her smile, leaving her with a noticeable gap. The dentist, who was missing the same tooth, was able to show her that she would not be able to see that the tooth was missing.
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The pain in her tooth was greatly impacting her quality of life. She was having a difficult time eating, did not want to smile, and had difficulty brushing her teeth without causing more pain.
“When I brush my teeth, I’m going to feel relieved. Like, thank God, thank you. You guys are changing — changed my life. And my birthday’s coming up, so, I’m not going to forget you.”
After the Tooth Removal
Once the tooth was removed, she was excited that she to smile without any pain. After the procedure, Tyenisha took a photo of the extracted tooth and insisted on keeping it. It’s a physical reminder for her. It reminds her that the pain is gone and not coming back.
“The reason why I want to keep my tooth is because every day I was in pain and I was wondering, like, ‘Well how does it look? Because I can feel the pain, but I can’t see it,’” Tyenisha said. “I just want to hold it and just look at it — like it’s gone, the pain is gone, and I got it in my hand.”
68.5 million Americans do not have dental insurance, which is why free dental care is the only option for many RAM patients like Tyenisha and Jeanette — read Jeanette’s story to read more about the need for accessible dental care. Tooth extraction cost is the most common reason patients like Tyenisha live in constant pain for so long.
Tooth extraction cost with insurance can be another reason people, even those with dental insurance, cannot get the tooth removal they need. Patients like Amanda, who has insurance, but come to RAM’s free clinic to save money and get quality dental care.
Tyenisha and Jeanette are two of RAM’s 35,989 patients in 2024. Click here for a review of all RAM accomplished in 2024.
About RAM
If you would like to donate to help RAM continue providing care to patients like Tyenisha, please visit https://www.ramusa.org/donate/. Our mission would not be possible without support from our generous donors. RAM’s funding comes from private donors like you!
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