Bangor -
The dentist chairs at the University of Maine at Augusta - Bangor campus College center were packed on Friday.
Associate Dental Professor at UMA Bangor, Nancy Foster said "We are providing cleanings, x-rays, sealants, fluoride treatments and we have three volunteer dentist here this morning providing fillings."
It's part of the office's "Give Kids a Smile Day" held on Friday. It's a time when children can receive dental care free of charge.
"Cost is a barrier for many and most people don't have dental insurance. They fall between the cracks and can't afford to come, so it's exciting we're able to offer that," said Foster.
Part of the reason the campus is able to hold this annual event is because students on campus help out.
Senior Dental Hygiene Student, Erica Hurd said "They've been pretty appreciative of everything we've been doing and we appreciate them coming in and giving us their time. It gives us experience, so I think it's benefiting everybody."
Dental students work side by side with the volunteer dentist. It also prepares them for what working in a dental office is really like.
"Usually we see one patient in the morning and afternoon, sometimes two depending on your schedule. So, it's definitely fast pace today," said Hurd.
Between a free cleaning and a friendly environment, kids and their parents walk away happy.
Foster said "A lot of the parents didn't realize we were here. I call us one of Bangor's best kept secrets."
If you're looking for a dentist you can contact the Clinic, which is open from September-May, at 262-7872.
There is a solution - to allow dental therapists to work in the US as they do in other developed countries. They just need a few years training and are able to drill, fill and pull teeth as well as dentists but will do it more cheaply and treat the people that dentists won't or can't.
The problem is that organized dentistry, with its pockets full of corporate cash, lobby all state legislators to shun dental therapists because they don't want any viable solutions to infringe upon its lucrative monopoly.
So it might seem that kind dentists are doing charitable work but they have caused the problem in the first place
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