USA - Hundreds pack free dental clinic in Asheville

Hundreds pack free dental clinic in Asheville
By Nanci Bompey • August 14, 2010
PageASHEVILLE — Most people hate going to the dentist, but Taylor Reed drove 250 miles just to see one.The 21-year-old drove four hours from Raleigh on Thursday to be the first person in line for the N.C. Dental Society's Missions of Mercy dental clinic at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.
Reed, accompanied by his girlfriend and best friend, was in line at 6 p.m. Thursday and spent the night outside on the concrete sidewalk.
“It's worth whatever I have to go through. I can hardly eat anything,” said Reed, whose four impacted wisdom teeth are causing him too much pain to care about the needles and drills. Reed went to college for massage therapy but hasn't been able to find much work. Without a steady income and insurance, he can't afford the dental care he needs.
“This is absolutely amazing,” Reed said as he waited to be seen Friday morning. “It's a blessing.”
Hundreds of people spent the night outside A-B Tech's gym in hopes of having teeth extracted, cavities filled and dentures made at the free two-day clinic that got under way Friday morning and continues today.
The clinic hopes to see 300-400 people each day, making it the largest free dental clinic held in Western North Carolina and the second-largest in the state....

Asheville, North Carolina is fluoridated and so is 88% of North Carolina:NYSCOF