Click here to view a message to all volunteers from Dr. Cal Utke, Colorado Springs site chair.

Clinic Set-up (Thursday, Sept. 30) 
The dental clinic will be set-up between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Treating dentists and hygienists are encouraged to prepare their treatment areas between 3:00-5:00 p.m. that day.

Treatment Days (Friday, Oct. 1 and Saturday, Oct. 2)
COMOM will open the doors to patients at 6:00 a.m. If you are working in patient registration, volunteer registration or in triage, please be at the dental clinic by 5:30 a.m.

Volunteers are registered to start their COMOM day at either 6:00 a.m. Early training will begin at 5:30 a.m for volunteer dentists, hygienists, assistants, dental/health professionals and community volunteers.

Clinic Tear Down (Sunday, Oct. 3) 
The dental clinic will be taken-down between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Volunteers fall into two general categories: dental/health volunteers and community volunteers. Within each category, several volunteer types are needed.  Click on the Volunteer Opportunities button to see a list of COMOM volunteer opporunities.

Volunteer registration is now available by clicking here.  The registration deadline has been extended to Sept. 17, 2010.

Free volunteer appreciation dinners will be held each evening. PLEASE register for these meals in advance so we have a good head count.

Encourage your friends and colleagues to volunteer. Dentists, in particular, should invite their assistants, hygienists, and office staff to join them at the COMOM event. This is a great team building experience!

Dentists and dental hygienists, with a license in good standing in their respective states, may volunteer for charity programs in Colorado without the need for a temporary license. Colorado law allows dentists and hygienists to volunteer for a charity event such as COMOM, for five consecutive days per year.

The CDA needs to provide the Colorado State Board of Dental Examiners (SBDE) with a list of visiting dentists and hygienists 10 business days prior to the event. This will enable the Colorado SBDE to verify the license status of out-of-state volunteers for the October COMOM event.

If you are interested in volunteering and live outside Colorado, please register in advance to allow time to comply with the Colorado SBDE rules. (The deadline for COMOM volunteer registration is Sept. 8, 2010.)

Volunteers need to submit the COMOM volunteer service agreement at the volunteer check-in area upon arrival at the Phil Long Expo Center. The completed agreement is needed to be a volunteer at COMOM. Download the form by clicking the Volunteer Service Agreement button on the left.

COMOM will be held at the:
Phil Long Expo Center
1515 Auto Mall Loop
Colorado Springs, CO 80920 
www.phillongexpocenter.com/get_here

The COMOM hotel headquarters is the Best Western Academy Hotel. A block of rooms have been reserved at a discounted price for Wednesday, Sept. 29 through Sunday, Oct. 3.  Click on the Hotels button to the left for a listing of hotels and reservation details.

The U.S. Air Force Academy will be playing football against Navy in Colorado Springs during the weekend of COMOM.  Due to limited hotel rooms, please make your reservations early!

Throughout the dental clinic, COMOM chairs, directors and department leads will be available to help.  These individuals will be wearing red-vests, and will have cell phones and radios to readily communicate with clinical and non-clinical departments in the clinic. 

Clinical Oversight: Cal Utke, DDS (site chair) and John Hanck, DDS (state chair) 

Non-clinical Oversight: Sharyn Markus (site director) and Pam Dinkfelt, PhD (state director)

COMOM’s goal for treatment is to relieve patients’ pain and to address their most urgent needs.  Unless advised by COMOM clinical chairs, only the patient’s first and second priorities are to be addressed.  Limiting treatment to a patient’s urgent need enables COMOM to serve more individuals.

The clinic will have more than 100 portable dental stations with chairs and lights.  The chairs will recline and the station will have access to water and suction. 

Patients will complete a treatment form with basic demographic information and health history. The form will be used for medical and dental triage, and to record patient treatment information.  As dentists and dental hygienists become available, patients will be guided to areas of the dental clinic where they will undergo dental treatment such as cleanings, fillings, root canals, extractions, and preparation of interim partial dentures and prefabricated crowns.

Upon completing their dental care, patients will be asked to participate in an exit interview.  Bilingual volunteers will be available throughout the clinic to assist Spanish and other non-English speaking patients.  In order to promote ongoing oral health, patients will also be given home-care instruction on how to care for their teeth and the importance of preventive dental care. 

Click on the button to the left to view more information about dental treatment protocols. 

Click on the left button for a description of the COMOM dental stations, and the equipment and supplies that will be available to dental volunteers.  A listing of what to bring to COMOM is also available on this page.

A major change to COMOM this year is the implementation of a patient voucher system, which will be used instead of patients waiting in line outside the clinic building.  COMOM is working in tandem with many of the charitable, nonprofit, and community health organizations within the Pikes Peak region to identify individuals who are in pain and in need of urgent dental care.  These organizations will distribute vouchers for free dental care on behalf of COMOM.

Dress is casual — everything from scrubs to shorts — whatever is most comfortable for you. Remember to wear comfortable and supportive, closed-toed shoes!

All volunteers will be given a COMOM t-shirt, and nonclinical volunteers are encouraged wear it during the clinic.

Dental Clinic – Volunteers and patients will be provided with food and drink throughout the clinic day.  Volunteer food should be eaten in the designated break room.  Beverages may be taken into the clinic area but COMOM asks that volunteers do not eat food in front of the patients.

Dinners – Volunteer appreciation dinners will be held on Thursday and Friday at the Expo Center following the day's event at the clinic, and a reception will be held at the Academy Hotel between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.  Please register in advance if you plan to attend the dinners and/or reception so COMOM has a reliable head count of planned attendees.

Click on the FAQ button to get answers to frequently asked questions about COMOM.