People formed a line late last night in front of the practice. An estimated 200 people were on hand when the doors opened at 8:00am. Men, women and children all had an opportunity for a least some dental care that would leave many no longer in pain and a little piece of mind.

The sounds of drilling, suction, and polishing were often followed by a thank you today at Sala Family Dentistry.
Patients like Steve Mendiola, who has been unemployed for a year. Today's free dental care was sorely needed and appreciated.

“It was definitely worth it. I got my problem fixed and I am very happy,” said Mendiola.

The lines started last night and people camped overnight in the parking lot. The group even sang "Happy Birthday" to one of the children waiting in line. Its all a humbling experience for Todd Sala .

“They've been here for awhile. I came up at 10:00 last night. I drove by I wanted to see. And there were probably 12 people already out there. They got taken care of, which is great,” said Todd Sala a dentist with the practice.

Todd says in his experience this morning, more patients wanted a cavity filled, than a tooth pulled. But the oral surgeon here was on hand as well and kept busy throughout the morning. Even the heavy winds and cold snap didn't discourage those waiting in line for hours to get just one dental procedure.

“This has been, everybody has been very pleasant, very appreciative, which has been very rewarding,” said Dr. Sala.

Todd says the event was employee driven and some volunteers from other practices and dental schools worked today to make it all happen, at noon they took a small break to catch their breath and capture the moment with a group picture.

By the end of the day, Sala Family Dentistry had seen a total of 112 patients.

Sala Family Dentistry says it will sponsor another free dental day in early summer.