Kellogg Dental and the Kellogg Family Dental Foundation will hold their sixth annual Free Dental Day on Saturday at Kellogg Dental, 1250 Byron Road in Howell.
Dr. Thomas Kellogg and his staff are partnering with Dentistry From the Heart, a nationwide mission hosted by 200 dental offices in 49 states, to provide free dental care to those who cannot afford it.
Six area dentists — Kellogg, Dr. Brian Bishop, Dr. Carolyn Kim, Dr Shana Francois, Dr Jeff Dunwell and oral surgeon Dr. Aaron Ruskin, together with staff and friends — will provide free dental treatment to those in need. Registration begins at 7 a.m. Patients will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The team will work diligently to see as many patients as possible in that time frame, performing one service for each patient seen. Services available are cleaning, filling or extraction.
The event requires over 60 volunteers and takes about nine months to plan.
“We had many people who were treated last year who are volunteering to work (this) year’s event,” said Sarah Tottingham, volunteer.
Last year’s donation was over $25,000 of free dentistry. The total since the service began is over $150,000 and over 800 patients served. Kellogg believes the event’s response proves that there is a greater need for this type of event.
Over 100 million people do not have dental insurance in the United States. For most, the expense of dental insurance is not an option.
“There are so many people who cannot afford to fix their teeth. Dental pain can be disabling; it is horrible to have to go without treatment. The timing is right for this kind of event. Anyone can help. It feels really good to see these people smile again,” said Kellogg.
After providing dentistry overseas in countries like, the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Guatemala for years, Kellogg’s staff came up with the idea to benefit the local community, partnering with Dentistry from the Heart.
“We’ve seen a lot of people who have lost their jobs and benefits and we wanted to help,” said Beth Roland, event coordinator.
Along with free dental care there will be music, raffles, face painting, prizes and free food.
Kellogg and the Kellogg Dental team offered special thanks to those who donated goods and services to help make the event possible and the enormous generosity of all the volunteers, who give of themselves, serving the community.
“I challenge other dentists to do this kind of thing. It’s great for everybody. It is truly the highlight of our year in our office,” said dental hygienist, Becky Minca.
For questions about hosting a similar event or about Saturday’s event, Kellogg can be reached at smilmkr@sbcglobal.net or 517-546-3330, or visit the Kellogg Dental website at smilemaker.org.
— The Livingston Daily
