Oh Holy Tooth

On a seasonably warm Christmas Eve morning  seeing a full parking lot would not be an interesting sight as this the crunch time for last minute shoppers. Though at 7:30 am, seeing  the parking lot in front of the Comfort Dental  at 4693 Morse Rd stuffed like a Dickensian Christmas goose is worthy of a raised eyebrow. 

The good folks at Comfort Dental were up this morning, not making sure that the stockings were hung by the chimney with care but rather giving the gift of free dental service. Since 1984, Comfort Dental has been performing free simple dental services for those in need during their “Care Day” on Christmas Eve.

For the last 20 years Dr. Larry Gamby DDS shares in this labor of love and holiday spirit with his staff. He says, “Care Day was provided to help everyone to be able to get dental care...” Dr. Gamby and his staff perform simple procedures such as cleanings, fillings and the occasional extraction for free for those with and without insurance.

Says Dr. Gamby, “There are patients here who have insurance and there’s people who have literally nothing.” A waiting room full of those in need of basic dental care-on Christmas Eve mind you-when asked if they had dental insurance, out of 25 people only 2 hands were raised. A sobering reminder of the state of health care in central Ohio and across the U.S.; many American are still uninsured and have to trek to places like Comfort Dental on Care Day to get the services they need. “This is something we love to do.” says Dr. Gamby of his staff’s commitment  to providing free dental care on this Christmas Eve morning.

Dr. Gamby(far left top row) and his staff on Care Day

While Congress and pundits bicker back and forth about the merits of universal health care, it is a wonderful feeling knowing that even those without insurance can receive the care they need. The gift that Comfort Dental gives each year goes beyond the hope of receiving free dental care. It is the gift of knowing that there are people that do care about the welfare of their neighbors and this Christmas Eve, many across central Ohio will be receiving the gift a new smile-minus a tooth or two.