Public responds to free dental care offer

GRAND BLANC (WJRT) -- (11/20/09) -- Some had to wait for hours in the cold, but a lot of Mid-Michigan residents are smiling a little easier today.

That's after they got free dental care from six dentists and their staffs in Grand Blanc.

Temperatures were in the 40s Thursday night when the line started to form outside the Dental Care Team office. And that line grew throughout the night, showing just how urgent the need was.

"I read the article last year and I knew they had started lining up by 3:30 in the morning, so I knew it was going to be full," said Kelley Wright.

Question: When you got here at 3, how long was the line?

Wright: I think there were 50 people in front of me

By 8 Friday morning, the line snaked around three sides of the building.

Reporter: Is it going to be worth the wait?

Unidentified man: Let's hope. It's pretty cold.

"It was so successful last year. We helped so many people. We had such great feelings giving so much dentistry to so many people that needed it. We decided we just had to do it again," said Dr. Ibraham Jarjoura, DDS.

While technicians did teeth cleanings, six dentists handled fillings, extractions and other complaints at no charge. Karon Husocki received dental implants, work which ordinarily would have cost her $10,000. "This is so good for the people who don't have insurance. This is really good for people who can't afford dentistry to come and have it done."

"She's going to have a different standard of living as far as eating and functioning when we're all done," explained Dr. Suheil Boutros, DDS.

The free, one-day clinic debuted last year. About 225 people were treated today.

"There are many people whose health could be affected by not having their teeth taken care of," Jarjoura said.

The dentists say the response has been so good, they'll probably bring it back again next year.

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