Saturday morning, my husband and I got up before our neighbor's rooster in order to get down to Arrowhead Dental Associates at the end of South County Trail for their annual
Free Dentistry Day. It was the best dentist visit I've ever had.
We were expecting to have to stand in line all day, but instead, the good folks at Arrowhead had set up tents, tables and chairs,
and were offering bagels (courtesy of Panera Bread), huge bowls full of ripe apples and bananas, and coffee, muffins, and doughnuts (courtesy of Dunkin
Donuts) for patients to enjoy while they were waiting. (Yes, the irony of being offered sugary doughnuts by a dental practice was not lost on many of
us, but I guess if there's a right time to eat them, it's just before getting your teeth cleaned.)
The atmosphere was pleasant and welcoming. Folks who'd attended in previous years greeted each other like long-lost friends. In addition to the
breakfast offerings, there were games and puzzles for the kids and an educational table with diagrams of the parts of the mouth and demonstrations of
how the acids in food can soften teeth and how coffee stains teeth.
But what really shocked me was the single-serving bottle of Mountain Dew holding the amount of sugar contained in the beverage. The bottle was about
one-third full! I was so grossed out by it that I may never drink soda again. If you want to try it at home, take an empty bottle of your favorite soft
drink and measure the amount of sugar into it that is stated on the labeling. Trust me, when you see it, it makes much more of an impression than just
reading the number of teaspoons.
Arrowhead promises to see 120 patients on free dentistry day, which they've been conducting every August for the past 3 years. But after
signing up the 120, they continued to put people on a waiting list to be seen time permitting. And there were no intrusive questions about income, etc.
All they ask is that you live nearby and aren't currently insured or are underinsured.
Nor did they cut corners because they were providing free services: My husband and I received full dental exams, including both panoramic and bite-wing
x-rays, and cleanings, exactly the same as if we'd gone to our former dentist back when we had insurance. A cynic might say Arrowhead offers the free
cleanings so they can tell people they have all sorts of problems needing work in order to drum up business, but in fact the opposite was true; they
told me that an issue that my previous dentist had tried to get me to have work done to correct was actually a natural process and nothing to be
concerned about.
And best of all, we were out of there by 10:45, in plenty of time to swing by the farmers' market for some pattypans. If you missed
this year's free dentistry day, it's held on the third Saturday in August every year. Or if you're looking for a dentist, go to Arrowhead. I can't
recommend them highly enough.
Author: Linda Felaco