Local Dentist Pays-It-Forward with Free Services

Sunshine Dentistry of Cape May Court House, owned by Dr. Eric V. Thomas, hosted its second annual “Dentistry from the Heart” event on Friday, Feb. 7. Each of the event’s 80 attendees had the choice of a cleaning, filling, or extraction completely free of charge thanks to the event’s generous local sponsors.
Dentistry from the Heart is a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing free dental care to those who need it. Every year, individual dentists and practices across the country donate their time and resources to host their own event.
Dr. Thomas first became familiar with the organization after expressing his desire to give back to the community to several of his national peers. “I always knew I wanted to find a way to give back to my local community,” he explains. “When I first heard about the Dentistry from the Heart cause, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do. I figured, ‘Why reinvent the wheel?'”
Fridays are normally the Sunshine Dentistry team’s day off, but in the early hours of Feb. 7, the staff and a number of volunteers were more than happy to be in the office. “We were excited all week here,” said Dr. Thomas. “You get that adrenaline rush going and it makes it that much more fun.” A dose of adrenaline proved necessary for this eight hour dentistry marathon.
By 9:30 am, fifty three patients had already registered for treatment at the large tent set up on the practice’s front lawn. The rather comfortable tent was complete with heaters, ample seating, and coffee and snacks provided by corporate sponsor Wawa.
“Last year was our first year doing the event, and this year we’ve learned and improved. Every year, we plan on making it bigger and better,” stated Dr. Thomas. Megan Miller assisted at the registration table and briefly explained the process. Patients filled out paperwork requesting a brief medical history and contact information and then selected the service they would like to receive.
From there, they were handed a number and awaited their turn. Melissa Miller and Chelsey Barber also volunteered their services at the check-in table for the event and expressed enthusiasm for the event’s success. “Last year, we registered and treated a total of 86 patients. This year, we’ve already seen over fifty and it’s still the early morning,” stated Chelsey.
Nicole D’Ambrosio was among the several patients treated at this year’s event. She registered to receive a filling from Dr. Thomas. “He’s a great dentist,” she stated. “All of my kids have gone to Dr. Thomas from the time they were 4 years old.” Nicole became aware of the event after bringing her child to the Sunshine Dentistry office a few weeks previous. As she sat in the chair to receive her filling, she gave Dr. Thomas two thumbs up.
“All of the patients are very appreciative. Just to receive a sincere ‘thank you’ from each of them, that’s priceless,” expressed Dr. Thomas. “That’s why we do it.”
February is National Children’s Dental Month, making it the prime time to spread free smiles. “There is definitely a need in our community for people without dental insurance, especially in these trying economic times,” stated Dr. Thomas. In fact, approximately 100 million Americans are without or lack dental insurance. Through Dentistry from the Heart, 80,000+ are served every year for free.
In an effort to assist Dr. Thomas and the Sunshine Dentistry staff, Dr. Michael Toohey and his full staff from East Coast Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, LLC also volunteered the day to help support surgical extractions. “Dr. Thomas first mentioned it to me about 6 months ago,” explained Dr. Toohey. “My staff and I were willing and happy to help and we will be treating Dentistry from the Heart patients exclusively today.”
Additional “Paying-It-Forward Smile Sponsors” included Action Supply, Bellevue Tavern, Cape Bank, Caprioni Porta-Potty, Christ Gospel Church, Coltene Whaledent, Crosstex, Glove World, Henry Schein Dental, Hu-Friedy, Kisco Dental, McDonald’s, Medicom, MicroFlex, Reef Family Pharmacy, Reveil Massage Therapy, Smart Practice, Smeltzer & Sons, Staples, Sturdy Savings Bank, Total Care, and Valumax International.
“After serving my country in the U.S. Army Dental Corps as a Captain, it’s awesome to serve our great community,” stated Dr. Thomas. “Today’s whole objective is to pay it forward to the community where we live and go to school. I hope to encourage others to help and serve in the same way.”
According to Sunshine Dentistry office manager Carol Miller, plans are in motion to host 2015’s third annual Dentistry from the Heart event on Friday, Feb. 6. Sunshine Dental is looking forward to several more years of “Changing lives, one smile at a time.”