By Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89
A collective of dentists from Charleston to Myrtle Beach rotate through the Helping Hands Dental Clinic to give people relief.
Dr. Nick Papadea ’94 worked the second week the clinic opened in 2013.
“Before the clinic opened, people had to go to the emergency room. Now we have a space and chairs and equipment and dentists like Dr. Tyler Perry ’09 and Dr. Lindsay Harper Moore ’01,” says Papadea.
According to Tracy Jones, operations manager for Helping Hands of Georgetown Inc., the first year the clinic opened, 287 patients came for free dental services. During 2021, the clinic saw 533, and the services have expanded.
“It’s very rewarding,” says Moore, who rotates through the clinic every six weeks. “Our clients don’t have insurance or Medicaid or Medicare. Some don’t have rides. Some sit and wait for hours. Everyone I’ve ever encountered has been appreciative.”
When Perry walks in, he knows that people have been waiting. He also knows that the clients are uncertain and anxious.
“I try to engage and meet them where they are,” he says. “When I walk in, I thank them for waiting and tell them that we’re going to help them out. I work on their teeth, but I also listen. I started volunteering in the extraction clinic to get more involved in the community; taking a holistic approach seems to make more of an impact.”
Perry, whose dad is Dr. L.R. Perry ’76, joined the dental clinic team in 2020. He considered following in his dad’s footsteps and pursuing a career in anesthesiology, but a dental shadowing experience as a Wofford student changed that.
“I remember a patient coming into the office off the street. He was crying and talking about living with the pain for months. He didn’t have money, but he promised to work for services,” says Perry. “The dentist brought him to a chair, numbed him up and removed the tooth. This guy came in crying and left with a smile on his face. That’s when I knew that dentistry was for me. And Wofford made that possible. Working in the clinic is a way to pay that back.”
Papadea says the clinic started with a group of local residents and interested citizens — Benny DuBose, Dick Rose and Dick Schwab — sitting around a table at Debordieu discussing community need.
“Some were in health care, some weren’t,” says Papadea, “but they all cared about this place and its people. … Benny got me involved, and, early on, he and I would ride around and pick up used equipment. We drove all over South Carolina.”
According to Papadea, several Wofford graduates helped the clinic get on its feet. The family of Dr. Pat Worrell ’64 donated some of his equipment after his death.
The clinic is a partnership with Tidelands Health, St. James Santee Health Clinic and Delta Dental. In the beginning, the clinic offered extractions only. Now there are opportunities for free exams, restorative care and cleanings.
“There’s so much need out there. It would be great to provide denture service or crowns … maybe partner with a lab,” says Papadea, who serves as president of the South Carolina Dental Association and is in practice with Perry (Drs. Papadea & Perry Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Pawleys Island).
To make additional services available, Moore, who owns Gentle Dentistry of Andrews and Georgetown, S.C., says they need additional volunteers. Retirees, dental students and practitioners who want to make a difference in the community are all welcome. Moore serves on the Helping Hands board and feels passionately about its mission.
“I’m from here. Being a part of this is a way I can give back to the community that raised me,” she says.