Dentistry from Heart provides free care
More than 100 community members walked away from Keelan Dental with brighter smiles.
The sixth annual Dentistry From The Heart on Saturday provided $35,090 worth of free dental care to patients.
The event offers free dental care to adults, ages 18 and older, regardless of income through one service that can include a cleaning, filling or extraction.
This was the dentistry's largest event since its inception, said Mary Kay Keelan, co-owner and marketing director of Keelan Dental.
“Every single year has grown for us,” Keelan said.
Since the program's inception in Butler six years ago, the dentistry practice has seen more than 500 patients and provided more than $120,000 in free dental care, she said.
Keelan's husband, Paul, started the program after his desire to go on a mission trip to provide dentistry overseas, she said.
In the meantime, he decided to address the need in the Butler community, Keelan said.
Multiple care options are available to children in the state, but not adults, Mary Kay Keelan said, adding this one-day event focuses on the adult.
One reason why a person might not go to the dentist is because of financial issues or lack of dental care insurance, Keelan said.
“Which is why they come to this event because there's no fee of any kind,” she said.
“Sometimes, people are afraid of the dentist and haven't been in a long time, and they see an opportunity to come and see what our office is like,” she said.
In adults in the age range from 19 to 64, about 59 percent have private dental benefits, 7.4 percent have dental benefits through Medicaid, and 33.6 percent do not have dental benefits, according to the American Dental Association.
The Dentistry From The Heart event on Saturday was made possible through 32 volunteers and sponsors, including Mike Kelly Automotive, Patterson Dental, Brasseler USA, Burkhart Dental Supply, Oliver Outdoor, Institute Hill Pharmacy, Ace Bros. Printing Ltd. and Pennie's Bake Shop & Espresso Bar.
Although a date has not been set for the next event, Dentistry From The Heart will continue next year in early June, Keelan said.
“It can get people out of pain they've been in for quite some time,” she said. “Because it's a free service, it allows for any adult ... if they've recently lost their dental insurance because of a job change — sometimes it's just a temporary situation and we're there to help.”
