Scott Blanchard's day began standing in line for the free dental clinic at Western Connecticut State University.
“I’m going to have some extractions done today. Because of the rising cost of insurance, I can’t afford them; I have no insurance," said Blanchard.
Hundreds of folks, either under-insured or uninsured, camped out for the chance to get some much needed dental care through the Connecticut Mission of Mercy Project.
According to a recent Commonwealth Fund study, nearly half of U.S. adults - about 81 million people - were either under-insured or uninsured in 2010. Willie Days is one of those Americans; he waited years to fix his smile.
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“Yesterday they gave me molds for my partials, because I have a tooth here missing and one right here," said Days.
“A lot of people have gone a long time without any dental care and it gets to the point where the teeth aren't salvageable anymore and they need to be extracted," said Organizer, Dr. Jonathan Knapp.
Patient John Georgiades had only a minor procedure.
“I’m getting a front tooth drilled and filled," said Georgiades.
But, as for Days, his dental work, not only boosted his smile, but also his confidence.
"It feels very, very good," he said.
Organizers hope to serve about 2,200 people over the span of 2 days.
