Raymond Burden sat up from the dental chair. He had tears in his eyes. He flashed a smile—and a new front tooth.

Mr. Burden lives in Portland, Oregon. He has no home. He is one of America’s many homeless people. But thanks to a group called “Mission of Mercy,” Mr. Burden’s smile is now complete.

Mr. Burden also has new back molars. “I can eat,” he says. He can even chew pork chops. Chomp, chomp. That’s something he hasn’t been able to do for five years. Having working teeth is a blessing.

An Oregon dental group plans the Mission of Mercy event. It offers free two-day clinics. Dentists and assistants volunteer. They clean thousands of teeth in that short time. They do root canals and fill cavities. They replace missing teeth.

All the dental work at the clinic is free. Last year Mission of Mercy helped more than 1,000 people. A dental lab donated over $20,000 worth of teeth and other dental parts.

It takes many people to run Mission of Mercy. More than 1,400 helpers work the event. That includes 200 dentists.

The free, on-the-spot dental care helps people keep good oral health. For some people, it ends pain. For many, it changes their lives.

Dentist Weston Heringer leads the clinic. He says missing teeth cause more than just chewing problems. “If you’re missing teeth . . . you could have trouble getting a job. It’s a life-changing experience, because these are people who don’t have access to this kind of care.”

God calls His people to show mercy. Mission of Mercy’s dental event is a real-world, hands-on way to do that.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. — Matthew 5:7