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Remote Area Medical’s (RAM®) Dental Technology Manager, Connor Gibson, joined NPR’s Here & Now earlier this week to talk about how RAM is changing the way patients receive free dentures.
During the 10-minute segment, Connor shared how he came to RAM, how his team can create custom dentures in just a few hours, and what he calls a “Mirror Moment.”
Connor spoke with host Robin Young about RAM’s mission, the technology behind the Digital Denture Lab, and the patients who inspire his work.
How 3D Printed Dentures Came to RAM
Developing RAM’s 3D-printed denture program gave Connor the chance to do something he loves: solve problems.
He saw how great the need for dentures was and used his engineering background to help find a solution.
“We’re all one slip, one fall away from needing a partial or needing dentures,” Connor told Young.
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But creating dentures quickly was only part of the challenge. RAM also needed a way to bring that technology directly to patients.
RAM’s denture and operations teams developed the Mobile Digital Denture Lab. Allowing Connor, his team, and a licensed dentist to create custom dentures at RAM Clinics across the country.
The Need for Free Dentures
For someone who’s never attended a RAM Clinic, it can be difficult to understand how far patients will go for care.
Connor told Young about patients who drive across state lines and sleep in their cars for the chance to receive dentures at no cost.
For patients who cannot afford dentures elsewhere, that trip can mean the chance to eat more comfortably and smile with confidence again.
And then comes Connor’s favorite part: the “Mirror Moment.”
It’s the moment a patient sees their new smile for the first time.
Those moments are a reminder that dentures are about much more than replacing missing teeth. For many patients, they can help restore something they have been missing for a long time: confidence.
The Volunteers Who Make It Possible
Connor was also quick to point out that the technology is only one part of what makes these moments possible.
From the dentist fitting the dentures to the general support volunteer greeting patients in the parking lot and the nurses serving in triage, every volunteer plays a role.
Connor encouraged listeners who want to be part of that work to volunteer at a RAM Clinic.
Ready to help? Register to volunteer at ramusa.org/volunteer.
A Mission That Hasn’t Changed
The conversation also returned to the vision that started RAM more than 40 years ago.
When Stan Brock founded RAM in 1985, he wanted people to have access to care they needed, free of charge. As RAM has grown, that mission has remained at the center of the organization’s work: to prevent pain and alleviate suffering by providing free, quality healthcare to those in need.
Today, that mission can look like a dentist relieving someone’s pain, a volunteer helping a patient through a clinic, or Connor handing someone a mirror and letting them see their new smile for the first time.
Hear the Full Conversation on NPR’s Here & Now
Hear Connor explain RAM’s Digital Denture Lab, the patients who inspire his work, and those unforgettable “Mirror Moments” in his full conversation with Robin Young on NPR’s Here & Now.
Help Create More Mirror Moments
Help RAM bring free dentures to those in need by donating to Remote Area Medical today.
Volunteer with RAM and make a life changing difference for our patients! Register to volunteer today.
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Our blog posts are a great way to learn more about RAM and stay involved.
Don’t forget to download and read RAM’s free magazine.
Select RAM as your charity of choice in the Walmart Spark Good Program. Change from Walmart orders will be donated directly to RAM.
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Share our clinic schedule with anyone who is in need of free dental, vision, and medical care. Visit www.ramusa.org/schedule to learn more.
