The crowds are reminiscent of shoppers waiting for store doors to open during a pre-Christmas rush.

But the folks converging on the Finney County Exhibition Building in Garden City weren't interested in gift-buying. They were waiting to receive the gift of dental care from Kansas Mission of Mercy, an ongoing effort to help thousands of Kansans in need.

The two-day clinic continuing today in Garden City is the latest in an effort launched several years ago, when local dentist Jeff Stasch and Wichita dentist Jon Tilton sought a way to provide dental care for Kansans who would otherwise go without.

Their plan has mushroomed into the free clinics -- Missions of Mercy -- that see dental professionals and other generous individuals donate time and supplies needed to offer care to children and adults.

This year's clinic in Garden City was expected to deliver some $1 million in services to 2,000 to 2,500 patients, about double the number of the first Garden City Mission of Mercy in 2003.

Thousands of people have taken advantage of Mission of Mercy dental clinics in other Kansas communities, with each huge turnout delivering more proof that lawmakers and other policymakers need to craft better strategies to address the declining supply of dental services and other issues that keep low-income and rural Kansans from receiving regular dental care.

A 2005 Kansas Health Institute study showed that nearly half of poor Kansans (those with a household income below $25,000) hadn't seen a dentist in the past year. The good news is that Missions of Mercy are reaching many Kansans in need, and in doing so helping to ward off more serious and costly social and health issues caused by a lack of proper dental care.

Those who make each Mission of Mercy possible expect nothing in return. They say their greatest reward comes in the smiles of the people they help.

Such unselfish, inspirational efforts deserve our heartfelt thanks -- and not only because they help so many, but because they raise awareness of a need that, if ignored by others empowered to make a difference, will become even more of a burden for all to bear.