Sunday, February 06, 2005

Volunteers sharpen kids' smiles for free


Willie Jackson, 8, of Green Sea, holds a mirror and watches the entire procedure as Dr. Mark McCoy (left), assisted by Horry-Georgetown Technical College dental student Traci Gerrald, installed two stainless steel crowns Friday afternoon. Willie was one of the last children to be treated before time ran out. CHARLES SLATE/The Sun News

DONATED DENTISTRY

Volunteers sharpen kids' smiles for free

By Sarah P. Kennedy

The Sun News

CONWAY | Willie Jackson, 8, wanted to go to the dentist. He'd never been before. Trouble was, he and his mother, Betty Jackson of Green Sea, had no insurance and no money to pay for dental work.

Enter Loring Ross, a Myrtle Beach orthodontist who wanted the community to know that dentists cared.

Add a patient school bus driver, and Willie had new fillings and a brighter smile Friday afternoon.

Willie and Ross met earlier in the day at Horry-Georgetown Technical College during the Grand Strand's second annual Give Kids a Smile Day.

Ross, chairman of the event, was inspired to bring the national free dental-treatment program to the Strand after he saw a story nearly two years ago about a local dentists' office that offered free services one day a year. Ross read in the photo caption that the office had to turn people away because there weren't enough dentists.

Ross knew there were more dentists willing to donate their time and skill to help those in need.

And he found them.

Read the reamining article here.

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