On Oct. 5, Springfield Dentist David Peck and Taylor Street Dental Associates will offer a free filling, extraction or cleaning to the uninsured or those unable to pay.
On Oct. 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m, Dr. David I. Peck and Taylor Street Dental Associates will offer area residents, who do not have dental insurance, or who cannot afford dental care, the opportunity to have a free filling, extraction or cleaning. Anyone 18 or older, who cannot get dental care elsewhere, may register, beginning at 8 a.m.
Services will be provided — one procedure per person — on a first-come, first-served basis at the practice in downtown Springfield.
“We thought it would be really nice. The entire team is donating their time that day to serve these patients that need help,” Peck said.
The day is part of the 13-year-old "Dentistry From the Heart" program that provides, through such event, more than 80,000 people a year with such free care, both in this country and abroad.
Peck, a graduate of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, in Trenton, has been in practice for 28 years.
The dental practice at 41 Taylor St. has about 1,000 patients.
Peck expects to serve up to 100 people.
"We are asking people to be honest” and access the service only if they cannot afford it themselves, Peck said.
A filling costs between $150 and $300, a cleaning from $120 to $180, and an extraction from $300 to $500.
Peck emphasizes the importance of dental care as part of overall health, noting the link that has been made between periodontal disease and heart disease, and other physical ailments.
“Find every means possible to take care of your teeth, and continue down the road of health,” Peck said.
For more information go to www.dentistryfromtheheart.org