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Donated Dental Care Attracts Big Crowds

Tom Flanigan

For the 6th year, more than 100 Tallahassee dental professionals were giving away their services on Saturday, Feb. 2. The "Dentistry from the Heart" event attracted hundreds of patients.

Those patients were already lined up when the doors of Periodontal Associates of North Florida opened Saturday morning. And as noon approached, clinic partner Dr. Walt Colon said business remained brisk.

"We're going to shoot for 150 and if we have doctors and staff members still volunteering and there are people still here, we'll take care of how many stay," he remarked.

Patients had their choice of a cleaning, filling or extraction. This year, there was also denture services available. The clinic's Dr. John Dozier said the event keeps growing.

"The patients are so appreciative," he observed as a seemingly endless parade of people were ushered into the clinic's various treatment rooms. "Especially for those who can't receive care anywhere (else), but can come here and we find from year to year that this Dentistry from the Heart is growing with both community support and appreciation."

He added plans for next year's Dentistry from the Heart are already in the works.

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Tom Flanigan has been with WFSU News since 2006, focusing on covering local personalities, issues, and organizations. He began his broadcast career more than 30 years before that and covered news for several radio stations in Florida, Texas, and his home state of Maryland.

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