A couple thousand people have more reason to “smile” after a visit to the South Coast over the weekend. Many low-income people received free dental work at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
Hundreds of dentists were at work….cleaning teeth…drilling cavities…grinding dentures.
“When you see humanity come together like this, it just feels great,” said Dr. Safa Maiwand from Oxnard.
She is one of about 700 dentists and dental professionals who volunteered at this California Dental Association Cares dental clinic where nearly 2,000 patients received free care.
“It’s like a big blessing,” said Daisy Carrasco, who desperately needs a filling but can’t afford a dentist.
“We don’t have that money,” she said.
In fact, CDA Cares says 10 million Californians experience barriers to dental care.
Those barriers are the reason Carrasco camped out all night waiting to get her teeth worked on. She believes the result is worth all the wait.
“They are making smiles to us," Carrasco said.