Horizon Dental Care is hosting a free dental clinic on April 9^th as part of the national Dentistry from the Heart campaign.

Dr John Evanish III will host the free event for the fifth consecutive year; over the past five years, the surgery has helped more than 700 patients and this year, the team are hoping to treat around 300 patients.

Dr Evanish and his team are offering free cleaning treatments, fillings and tooth extractions from 8am on Saturday April 9^th. Appointments will be allocated on a first come, first served basis so patients are advised to come early to avoid disappointment.

Dr Evanish said that Dentistry from the Heart was an extremely important organisation, which helps to provide needy people with dental treatment; he said that more people than even need his help and he views the dental event as a way of giving back to the community and helping people who would otherwise really struggle to afford dental care.

Dentistry from the Heart was set up to provide affordable dental treatment for people without insurance; it is estimated that over a million Americans do not have dental insurance and as a result of this they face hefty bills if they need treatment; many people simply do not have the money to pay for dental care and are forced to put off going to the dentist. Dentistry from the Heart gives these people an opportunity to get the treatment they need without worrying about finding hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

A new dental programme has been launched to try and tackle decay and improve standards of oral health amongst children in Oregon.

The ‘Ready to Smile’ scheme, which is run in conjunction with Oregon Community Foundation and Coos County Public Health, is hoping to reduce rates of decay by educating children about oral hygiene and healthy eating and providing routine dental treatments.

The programme has been launched as a result of increasing rates of tooth decay amongst young children; for the first time in around 40 years, rates of decay are on the rise. Recently, students at Harbor Lights Middle School received free sealant and fluoride treatments as part of the Ready to Smile programme; these treatments help to strengthen the teeth and protect them against decay. Dental volunteers also talked to children about teeth cleaning, oral hygiene and healthy eating and all the children took an information pack home, which also contained a toothbrush, dental floss and a timer to encourage children to brush for 2 minutes.

The programme is supported by local dentists and dental professionals.