Dr. Eric Ferrara, an oral surgeon from Fayetteville and Griffin, and his surgical and office staff volunteered their time and expertise this past weekend at the Georgia Mission of Mercy.

Georgia dentists from across the state donated their time and expertise to provide dental care to thousands of adults in need through the GMOM project, an outreach program of the Georgia Dental Association and its Foundation for Oral Health.

Basic dental services were offered to low- and no-income adults including cleanings, fillings and extractions.

GMOM’s free, 100-chair portable dental clinic was held this past weekend at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry. Doors opened at 5 a.m. on both days.

Patients were seen on a first-come, first-served basis with about 1,000 patients seen per day. Dentists, staff, labs, local and corporate volunteers worked tirelessly from 5 a.m to 5 p.m.

“It was hard work but it feels great to be able to give back to people who are in critical need of dental care,” said Dr. Ferrara.

“It was great for me to make an impression on my staff the importance of giving, and even greater to hear their feeling after they donated their time and knowledge. All of my staff said, “When is the next mission? We want to help again!’”

For more information on GMOM, visit www.GeorgiaMissionOfMercy.org.