Free Dental Care on Christmas Eve Day
Comfort Dental Expects Large Turnout Predicted Due to Slow Economy
Wheat Ridge, Colorado – Comfort Dental will be hosting Care Day Saturday, December 24, 2011, offering free dental care to those in need. All Comfort Dental general dentistry offices throughout nine states are participating including offices in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas and Washington. Offices will be open on December 24th from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Click here to see locations.
Beginning in Colorado in 1984, Comfort Dental has offered free dental care on Christmas Eve Day. Care Day was started 28 years ago as a way of improving accessibility to dental care. On Care Day, all services are free to anyone. Patients are helped on a first-come, first-served basis, receiving a variety of basic dental care from cleanings to extractions. More serious dental problems are handled on a case-by-base basis and at the discretion of the individual dentist. Nationally, approximately 250 Comfort Dental dentists and 1,300 staff members donate their time on Care Day.
Last year on Care Day, all Comfort Dental offices saw over 7,000 patients and gave away $2,000,000 in free dental services. This year, the need is likely to be bigger based on economic conditions. Since Care Day’s beginnings in 1984, Comfort Dental has given away $11 million in dental services. In 2009, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter recognized Care Day.
President and Founder, Dr. Rick Kushner says, “We provide free dental care to help people. If someone has a bad tooth, hopefully we can make them feel better. For some people, including kids, Care Day might be the only time they see a dentist all year. We’re dentists, so we give away dental services for the holidays. Care Day is one of the cornerstones of the company.”
According to Dr. Neil Norton, Vice President, “Due to the tough economy, we anticipate a record turn-out. In a typical year on Care Day, nationally we average 2,000-3,000 patients, but last year was more than 3,000, and this year may be even bigger. There are a lot of families out there who just can’t afford dental care, and this is their only dental visit all year.”
More About Care Day
Since 1984, Comfort Dental has offered free dental care on Christmas Eve Day. Care Day was started 28 years ago as a way of improving accessibility to dental care. On Care Day, all services are free to anyone. Patients are helped on a first-come, first-served basis, receiving a variety of basic dental care from cleanings to extractions. More serious dental problems are handled on a case-by-base basis and at the discretion of the individual dentist. Approximately 200 Comfort Dental dentists and 1,200 staff members donate their time on Care Day.
More About Comfort Dental
- · Comfort Dental’s core mission is to expand access to quality dental care by making it affordable and convenient.
· New patients pay $19 which includes exam and x-rays with cash payment required at time of service. Braces for kids are $109 per month, adults are $119 per month with the Gold Plan.
· Comfort Dental’s fees are 40% to 50% less with the Gold Plan when compared to other dentists. Without the Gold Plan, we’re about 25%-30% less.
· Comfort Dental is accepts Medicaid in New Mexico. Most dentists’ participation in Medicaid lags far behind others in the medical profession. (source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
· Comfort Dental offers extended regular office hours including Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM, Saturdays, 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and 24-hour emergency access.
· For people and businesses who need dental insurance, Comfort Dental offers their own dental plans - Gold , Silver and Diamond Plans that offer more discounts on services.
· Comfort Dental is the largest dental franchise in America. Every office is independently owned by the dentists.
· Dr. Rick Kushner, D.D.S., founded Comfort Dental in 1977 and pioneered the concept of fair pricing dentistry.
