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Dentist Will Again Give Free Care To Needy

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By KLINT LOWRY | The Suncoast News

Published: January 26, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - Some people talk about "giving back to the community," but Dr. Vincent Monticciolo puts his dentistry where his mouth is.

Monticciolo will hold his eighth annual "Dentistry from the Heart" event at his practice, Monticciolo Sedation Dentistry, 4530 Grand Boulevard, New Port Richey, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8.

The no-cost dental clinic is held every year on the Friday before Valentine's Day.

This year, Monticciolo and several of his colleagues will provide about $100,000 worth of free dental work to 500 patients age 18 and older. The services will be performed on a first-come, first-served basis.

The dentists will provide free fillings, extractions and cleanings. Patients who are found in need of continuing care will be referred to community clinics that provide care to people without dental insurance at little or no cost.

Monticciolo started "Dentistry from the Heart" as a way of giving back something to the community. He also wanted to draw attention to the millions of people in this country who do not have the means to get regular or timely dental care, the dentist says.

"We're there to help those in need, to help those who can't always afford to have dentistry done," Monticciolo said in a statement to promote the event. "We see people who have been hurting for months that need the care. They can't afford it, or they don't have insurance."

The event has succeeded on both counts. Speaking at national dental conferences, he started convincing dental clinics around the country to hold similar events. Dentistry from the Heart received a boost last year when it became a registered national nonprofit organization.

Over the last seven years, the program has provided more than 5,000 people with an estimated $1 million in free dental work.

This year, clinics in Ashborough, N.C., Las Cruces, N.M., Southfield, Mich., and in Winter Haven will also hold "Dentistry from the Heart" events on Feb. 8. The event in Winter Haven will continue Feb. 9.

The event has also illustrated the dental insurance problem in this country. In recent years, people have started lining up outside Monticciolo's office the day before, camping out overnight to make sure they were one of the first 500 in line.

"I do dentistry; this is all I know how to do," Monticciolo said. "This is our office's greatest day of the year. We really come together as a team."

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