This story is part of a series on the challenges and solutions related to oral health in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. It is made possible with funding support from the Delta Dental Foundation.
Janelle Randall remembers people arriving hours before a free dental clinic in the Grand Rapids area opened. Some were in line by 5 or 6 a.m., waiting for the doors to open at 9 a.m.
The clinic staff and volunteers transformed church space into a dental office. They brought in chairs, X-ray equipment, and tools for cleaning teeth, filling cavities, and removing teeth…