The primary practitioners of the SDA clinic have brought this tradition on the island from their alma mater, the Loma Linda University in California.
They hold this event in the month of June every year. However, this year, the number of patients doubled up to 230 people. They served the first hundred last June and called back the other half last Sunday, of which, about 60 people had showed up.
Every member of the staff volunteered. They worked from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. The first patient they served said she had been waiting in line since 1:30 a.m. and slept in her car. By 6:30 in the morning, more than 200 had signed up for their free program.
“It’s sad to say that no matter how many times we have it, it doesn’t seem like there are enough people that we can help,” said Lori Serna, RDH.
Serna said the number one dental problem they came across was toothache. They normally would have to perform a tooth canal surgery to get the patient out of pain. The second problem they often encounter is the loss of teeth due to gum disease. Serna emphasizes that all this can be prevented by brushing twice a day for at least two minutes and flossing.
The SDA clinic provided about $20,000 worth of treatment last Sunday for its second Clinic with a Heart this year. The clinic provided urgent care to those who came in with a toothache and gave free vouchers to others so they can come back throughout the week or throughout the month.
The other doctors who were on the field were Dr. William Shearer, Dr. Michael Stafford, Dr. Stacy Stroup, Dr. Carita Berglund, and Dr. Kenneth Pierson, the clinic director.
The clinic has another free program called Give Kids a Smile from the American Dental Association which is held on the first Friday of February. This program focuses on children solely.
Serna encourages other clinics to participate in order to give back to our community. “If we all make an effort, if we all are part of the change then we are part of the solution and then it helps out tremendously,” she said.
