By David Harry

Staff Writer

On a dreary, rainy morning last Friday, area dentists learned there are plenty of patients who are eager to open wide.

The second annual Dentists Who Care For ME day was held at dental offices from Buxton to Yarmouth, including South Portland offices of Dr. James Ortengren, where the lobby was filled by 8:15 a.m. The day is sponsored by the Greater Portland Dental Society.

Patients without dental insurance could get basic cleanings, but it also provided an opportunity to get fillings and extractions, said Elaine Gant, an office assistant for Ortengren.

In Scarborough, residents lined up outside Dunstan Dental Center on Route 1 to receive complimentary appointments, and within the first hour Dr. Demi Kouzounas said they staff treated 42 patients, saving them nearly $3,000. 

“You can feel the enthusiasm,” said Kouzounas.

Portland resident Michelle Gurney said she was looking for a tooth repair – perhaps a filling, as she settled into a chair and Dr. Steven Palmer put on his gloves. Palmer is part of another South Portland practice – he pitched in at the office where five rooms were filled by patients.

Gurney, who is self-employed and restores antique furniture, said she has felt pain for about five months but could not afford the $800 bill for dental work.

“I had saved up $100, then my cat got sick,” she said.

As the morning went on, the two doctors, two dental assistants and three hygienists found they were most often cleaning teeth instead of pulling them, something hygienist Karen Landis said was a good sign.

“We are trying to educate them so they leave with more than just a cleaning,” she said.

Preventative care begins simply, said hygienist Angela Pearson, by brushing teeth at least twice a day.

“Flossing is the biggest key,” she said, noting she saw patients with signs of gum disease that is easily avoided.

Patients including South Portland resident Deanna Dennison said finding the time to brush has been easier than finding money to visit a dentist. Dennison estimated it had been three years since she had a cleaning and checkup. She lost dental insurance coverage after getting laid off from a job.

The wait had been even longer for South Portland resident Elisabeth Wyrwicz – eight years. Wyrwicz, visiting the dentist with her husband, Chad, she said she was a college student covered on her father’s insurance the last time she had a cleaning.

Last year, the free care meant Chad could have a broken tooth repaired, but Elisabeth said she did not get a cleaning because she figured others needed work more urgently than she did. A year later, the economy meant the couple still could not afford dental care even when insurance was available for Elisabeth in her job as a credit counselor.

“It was too much for me to afford a month. We have already given up cable and a cell phone,” she said. She also rides a bicycle to work when she can.

Chad said the filling he got last year was holding well and Elisabeth said what she feared was a cavity turned out to be nothing.

The need for free dental care was no surprise to Gant, who said she arrived at the Cottage Road office just after 7 a.m. and learned people had been in line for 30 minutes before that.

Dentists who did not participate donated supplies, Gant said, and the office borrowed an additional sterilizer to ensure dental tools could be clean and available. 

Patients were given bags with toothpaste, floss and a brush when they left, along with simple advice on dental care.

“You can prevent a lot of problems just by taking proper care every day,” Pearson said.