Dental practice offering free services Saturday as part of ‘Smiles from Santa’

IDAHO FALLS — Comfort Care Dental is hosting its annual “Smiles from Santa” free dental care day this weekend.

Since 2006, the dental practice has provided free services to those in need on the first Saturday in December as part of the program.

“There’re a lot of people who slip through the cracks that don’t qualify for Medicaid and Medicare, but can’t quite afford dental,” said Phil Harper, a dentist with Comfort Care Dental.

This is the 18th year the practice has hosted “Smiles from Santa” and a total of $1 million worth of services has been donated since the start.

This year, eight doctors in all four locations will volunteer their time to treat walk-ins for free. They will provide exams, x-rays, fillings and extractions.

Harper says people come all the way from Jackson and Montana for treatment.

“We get a lot of hugs and tear-filled eyes from people that have been in extreme pain and otherwise couldn’t afford to get an extraction,” Harper said. “They were like, ‘I wasn’t going to give my kids Christmas because I had to get this tooth taken out.”

All Comfort Care Dental locations including in Rexburg, Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Twin Falls will treat walk-ins from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7. You can find addresses here.

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