Anyone over 18 years of age was eligible to receive free assistance!
IRON MOUNTAIN -- "No one gets turned away," said Dr. Kirsten Kaad. And that's good news for Niagara resident Darryl Nix.
For Nix, it's not the best time to have a sore tooth. He's currently back in school and doesn't have insurance to cover a visit to the dentist. But when he heard the John Fornetti Center was having a free day for patients, he jumped at the opportunity.
"I thought it was a good idea," said Nix.
Nix has been experiencing pain for about a month now but does face one fear regarding his appointment.
"I really don't want to lose it if they have to pull it, whatever they've got to do,” Nix said. “I don't want to keep living in this agony either, so I’ve got to get something done about it."
Saturday, roughly 50 local volunteers helped treat about 150 people in need of dental work. The dentists were working on fillings, extractions, and teeth cleaning, free of charge to anyone over 18 who showed up to the office. And they received help from a local pharmacist.
"A local pharmacist, Steve Roell with TDS in Iron Mountain, he has been gracious enough to donate all of the prescriptions for antibiotics and pain meds for all of our patients today," said greeter Karen Larson.
After X-rays and an examination, Nix found out he wasn't going to need an extraction after all.
"All they had to do was grind it in a way to where it would put the pressure more forward on my teeth, and she said just Sensodyne toothpaste every night for about three or four weeks and the pain, the hot and cold, will go away,” Nix said. “I’m good, this is really awesome. I went through a lot of worry and a lot of fear for nothing."
But he planned to make one more stop before leaving.
"I’m going to get a free cleaning, too, while I’m here," Nix said. "Why not, you know?"
With clean, adjusted teeth, Nix left the office Saturday morning not a penny lighter.
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