By CHRISTINE BOATWRIGHT / Staff Writer

BRIERFIELD – Mahan Creek Dental will host the third annual Dentistry From The Heart event on Oct. 19 providing a free day of dental care to more than 150 people, including Shelby County residents, who are in pain and need relief by extractions.

The gates will open at 7 a.m., and registration will close at 10 a.m. Volunteers will register the first 150 people who attend, as Dentistry From The Heart is a first-come, first-serve event. The goal is to relieve patients who are in pain through extraction only.

Dr. Ryan Draiss and his wife, Dawn, of Chelsea Comprehensive Dental volunteered their services to the event last year. Dawn Draiss said dentists saw more than 100 patients and extracted more than 400 teeth during last year’s event.

“We want to give back. As much as we love doing this, and we do it to help people, we really are getting a lot more back from our patients than we can ever give back,” Dawn Draiss said. “It’s an opportunity to give back to prove to people that we really are about helping and educating, not just being their dentist.”

Ryan Draiss said the line of people waiting for help was extensive last year.

“They’ll wait all day to have a tooth extracted,” he said. “You can see the desperation some people have to get some help.”

This year, Mahan Creek Dental will have 60 volunteers, six dentist, 10 assistants, hygienist, medical personal, EMTs and church volunteers to help, and a blue grass band will play as patients wait.

“It all comes down to wanting to provide something greater to our community,” Crystal Payne, hygienist with Mahan Creek Dental, wrote in a press release. “The services provided by our dentist helps more than just patient’s teeth, it gives them a renewed reason to smile.”

Mahan Creek Dental is located at 19330 Highway 139, in Brierfield. For more information, contact Miki Heaton at 256-453-6434, Amy Hathaway at 665-2723 or questions can be emailed to amy@mahancreekdental.com.