Local dentists provide no-cost care –
COARSEGOLD – Look for smiles to be a little brighter this weekend, as three area dentists host the mountain community’s first Dentistry From The Heart (DFTH) event, providing a free day of dental care to more than 100 residents.
DFTH takes place at Coarsegold Dental on Saturday, Nov. 10 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Drs. Travis Kendall, Jacob Geyer and Eric Francom, along with their team of assistants and volunteers, will provide patients with a free extraction, filling or cleaning, on a first-come, first-served basis. The local no-cost dental clinic is being organized with partnership from the national nonprofit DFTH, whose mission is to provide free dental care to those who need it.
Dr. Travis Kendall lives in Coarsegold and has owned the practice for nearly 5 years.
“We want to be able to give back to the community that has been so great to us,” Kendall says. “We and our families love it here and we want the residents of the community to know that we care about them and want to help those who are in need.”
Since its inception in 2001, national DFTH has grown to include over 200 annual events nationwide and given more than 45,000 people free dental service. Patients have been known to travel great distances to participate in these community-based days of free dentistry.
Ryan Eckstein, marketing director for Coarsegold Dental, says 2,300 flyers advertising the event were sent home to area schools, including Coarsegold, Rivergold, North Fork, Wasuma, Spring Valley and Oakhurst elementary schools, and Oak Creek Intermediate in Oakhurst.
A representative of local community-based health care provider Camarena Health will also be on hand Saturday to offer free screening for patients awaiting dental care.
The doctors at Coarsegold Dental anticipate a crowd of at least 100 people to visit, and are said to be excited about the coming event, which they plan to hold annually.
“The service provided by Dentistry From The Heart helps more than just a patient’s teeth,” says Dr. Geyer, “it gives them a renewed reason to smile.”
Coarsegold Dental is located at 35344 Highway 41, Suite F. www.coarsegolddental.com
