Tyler Junior College student Ali Hopkins performs dental x-rays on Noemi Martinez in the dental clinic during the Operation East Texas event at the Rogers Nursing & Health Sciences Center in Tyler on Monday July 29, 2019. This is the fourth annual Operation East Texas event which is a collaboration between TJC Dental Studies and Vocational Nursing, Texas A&M College of Dentistry, UT Health Science Center at Tyler, UT Tyler Nursing and Pharmacy, TJC Wellness and Exercise Science and the Tyler Lions Club. Services available included limited dental services including basic fillings and extractions, cleanings and sealants as well as medical and vision screenings. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Organizers of the five-day Operation East Texas — a free dental, medical and vision outreach clinic — expect close to 1,000 people from across the region and beyond to flock in for services over the course of this week.

Alice Hooper came from Pittsburg hoping to get some of her teeth pulled when the outreach clinic opened Monday. She said, “I’ve had a lot of teeth problems. I’ve had a lot of pain.”

For Michelle Cole, of Tyler, who also has a few dental problems, the free clinic “means a lot to me because I don’t have dental insurance.”

Tyler Junior College will host the clinic from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to noon Friday in the Rogers Nursing & Health Sciences Center, 1200 E. Fifth St., on the TJC campus.

TJC professor of dental studies Christina Horton said there are patients who come for medical and vision services, but “the big draw of the event” is the dental service.

Patients range in age from 4 to 80 and come “from all over,” their conditions varying from severely, chronically ill to healthy, Horton said. One even came from Houston last year, although most come from area cities, such as Jacksonville, Bullard, Lindale, Van, Canton, Kaufman and Hawkins.

Volunteer students, medical personnel and other staff from several entities, provide the dental, medical and vision services “out of the kindness of their heart,” Horton said.

Operation East Texas is a collaboration of TJC Dental Studies and Vocational Nursing, Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, the University of Texas at Tyler Nursing and Pharmacy School, the TJC’s Wellness and Exercise Science division and the Tyler Lions Club.

Colleen Bailey, of Gladewater, said this year’s clinic is “perfect timing” because now is the time that her son, Ryan, 15, needs his teeth cleaned. Ryan, though, considers it “scary.”

Wanting dental care, Dustin Nelson drove from Palestine to the clinic after reading a pamphlet posted on a wall of a store in Palestine promoting the event.

Speaking about the kind of dental problems he has, Nelson said, “You name it and I’ve probably got it. The entire right side of my mouth is messed up and dental work is so expensive.”

Maria Cordero, of Tyler, said the event is “a wonderful idea” for people like her without insurance, enabling them to save money on checkups. Shortly after Operation East Texas opened, Cordero had already had her blood pressure, blood sugar and vision checked and found out she needs new glasses.

A clinic staffer promised to call her with information about where she can get free or reduced-cost glasses. Since several members of her family wear glasses, Cordero said, “It’s nice for me because it’s very expensive even with insurance.” She also planned to take advantage of the dental service later in the day.

Cordero came to the clinic after finding out about it on Facebook.

Word of the clinic spreads through social media and by word-of-mouth, Horton said. Many people come back every year. This is the fourth year that TJC has hosted Operation East Texas.

It grew out of a similar clinic started about seven years ago in Van that still operates under the name of East Texas Medical and Dental Outreach.

Conducting Operation East Texas in TJC’s new Rogers Nursing & Health Sciences Center has enabled the event to triple the number of patients served, and the site has the potential to continue to grow and reach more people, Horton said.

Operation East Texas is patterned after a clinic in the Rio Grande Valley.

The Tyler Lions Club provides visual screening and if a patient needs glasses or further evaluation, the club refers them.

UT Tyler and TJC nursing students check patients’ vital signs and help with registration. They check pulse, blood pressure, blood sugar, respiratory function and take an extensive health history to check for red flags of possible health issues and make necessary referrals.

Dental services including fillings and extractions are provided by dental students from Texas A&M College of Dentistry, supervised by faculty. TJC dental hygiene students provide dental support, take X-rays, and assist dentists. TJC students also provide patient education and oral health promotion, plus provide fluoride varnish and sealants.

UT Tyler’s College of Pharmacy has an information table to help patients find lower-cost options for medications. UT Health Science Center displays a giant inflatable colon to educate people about colon cancer, polyps, Crohn’s disease and other topics.

Students of the TJC Wellness and Exercise Science program provide behind-the-scenes assistance for Operation East Texas.

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