About 200 people formed a line for free dental services in the Millhopper Family Dentistry parking lot Saturday morning. The dental office collaborated with local endodontists, periodontists and oral surgeons for the event Care to Share, which offered free fillings, extractions and cleanings.
Tickets were handed out at 7 a.m., but people started lining up at 5:30 p.m. Friday to ensure a spot. The temperature dropped to 34 degrees during their wait.
The first 100 people who arrived received free care.
Ten local dentists and about 60 volunteers worked to make the event a success.
Tim Murphy, an administrative assistant for the office, said Care to Share was created to help out the community in this tough economic time.
Milly Ruiz, her husband and her 16-year-old son showed up at 6:15 p.m. Friday and set up a tent. They were fifth in line.
She said she’s grateful that Care to Share allowed her family members to get the dental work they needed. She and her husband hadn’t received a cleaning in more than a year, and her son needed to get his chipped tooth repaired.
“Dental insurance – that’s usually on the back burner,” she said. “You brush your teeth and you wish for the best, and many families just can’t afford it. That’s a luxury for some families.”
