Costa Mesa dentist Clint Walker recently gave a group of area residents reasons to smile by providing free crowns, fillings and other necessary procedures at a daylong event designed to improve oral health and access to dental care .
The intern on August 19 joined four dental assistants and three office workers who volunteered their time to Smile Generation Serve Daya nationwide event that funds dental work for those who don’t have insurance or can’t afford it.
In a single Saturday, the team at 17th Street Modern Dentistry provided $35,000 worth of work for seven people.
The effort is a collaboration between two businesses that work with dentists and patients nationwide. Pacific dental services provides consulting services, training and technology for dental practices, while Smile generation offers dental plans and financing options for customers.
Long Beach resident Chad Taulbee before and after receiving $6,390 in free dental work from 17th Street Modern Dentistry in Costa Mesa.
(Courtesy of 17th Street Modern Dentistry)
Together, they work with various dentists in their networks who agree to perform the work for free.
“We’ve done it every year,” said Walker, who founded the Costa Mesa practice in 2018. “It’s just a way to give back and help patients in need, people who maybe have been hit by life and need a little help to get back on track”.
That was the case for Chad Taulbee, a 35-year-old Long Beach bartender who hid his imperfect smile for years. He put off dentist visits for years and struggled financially during the pandemic.
“I had lost my job and could not get unemployment. I was living on the bare minimum,” he recalls. “I hadn’t cleaned in 10 years. [my teeth] were destroyed.”
Taulbee was at a friend’s barbecue getting his teeth streaked when another attendee, who happened to work for Pacific Dental Services, approached him about participating in the free day of service.
Dentist Clint Walker, right, of 17th Street Modern Dentistry, poses with client Chad Taulbee on Smile Generation Serve Day.
(Courtesy of 17th Street Modern Dentistry)
She visited Walker for an initial consultation and was approved for a deep cleaning, fillings and two front dental crowns that would cost $6,390. Taulbee said he was touched by an act of kindness that came at just the right time.
“I’m a rough dude. But they were humble and took me. I’m grateful and I want to give back and help someone else too,” he added.
David Feagin, who works in the kitchen at the Costa Mesa Country Club, had six teeth extracted and a partial denture, a project totaling $13,448.
Costa Mesa resident David Feagin before and after receiving $13,448 in free dental care during Smile Generation Serve Day.
(Courtesy of 17th Street Modern Dentistry)
“Having no teeth, I always thought no one would hire me since that’s the first thing they see,” she said. “Now, I’m not afraid to be seen, I’m not afraid to talk to people – it’s changed my life.”
Walker said that while some people may avoid dentists due to fear or lack of funds, maintaining healthy teeth and gums can be vital to a person’s overall health.
“More and more research has shown that oral health affects the rest of your body,” he said, describing a “mouth-body connection.” “Sometimes, the first sign you’ll see that something is wrong with your body is in your mouth.”
The hope is that people who were helped during the serving day may decide to continue their treatment, the dentist explained. But even if they don’t, at least their most immediate needs have been addressed.
“We’re just trying to meet people where they’re at,” he said.
