Free Dental Care on Christmas Eve Day

Comfort Dental Expects Large Turnout Predicted Due to Slow Economy

Comfort Dental will be hosting Care Day Friday, December 24, 2010. All Comfort Dental offices will provide free dental care to anyone. Comfort Dental has hosted Care day for the last 27 years. Care Day will be at all Comfort Dental general dentistry offices (60+) throughout Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Missouri and Ohio .  Offices will be open on December 24th from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  See locations or call 1-877-330-7676.

Since 1984, Comfort Dental has offered free dental care on Christmas Eve Day. Care Day was started 27 years ago as a way of improving accessibility to dental care.  On Care Day, all services are free to anyone. Patients are helped on a first-come, first-served basis, receiving a variety of basic dental care from cleanings to extractions. More serious dental problems are handled on a case-by-base basis and at the discretion of the individual dentist. Approximately 200 Comfort Dental dentists and 1,200 staff members donate their time on Care Day.

Last year on Care Day, Comfort Dental offices saw 3,200 patients and gave away $600,000 in free dental services. This year, the need is likely to be bigger based on economic conditions. Since Care Day’s beginnings in 1984, Comfort Dental has given away $10 million in dental services.  Last year, Governor Bill Ritter recognized Care Day.

President and Founder, Dr. Rick Kushner says, “We provide free dental care to help people. If someone has a bad tooth, hopefully we can make them feel better. For some people, including kids, Care Day might be the only time they see a dentist all year. We’re dentists, so we give away dental services for the holidays. Care Day is one of the cornerstones of the company.

According to Dr. Neil Norton, Vice President, “Due to the tough economy, we anticipate a record turn-out. In a typical year on Care Day, we average 2,000-3,000 patients, but last year was more than 3,000, and this year may be even bigger. There are a lot of families out there who just can’t afford dental care, and this is their only dental visit all year.”

More About Comfort Dental

• · Comfort Dental’s core mission is to expand access to quality dental care by making it affordable and convenient.
• · New patients pay $19 which includes exam and x-rays. Braces for kids are $109 per month, adults are $119 per month with the Gold Plan.
  Comfort Dental also offers oral cancer screenings for $10.
• · Based on UCR fees, Comfort Dental’s fees are 40% to 50% less with the Gold Plan when compared to other dentists. Without the Gold Plan, we’re about 25%-30% less.
• · Comfort Dental is one of the largest Medicaid providers in Colorado. Most dentists’ participation in Medicaid lags far behind others in the medical profession. (source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
• · Comfort Dental improves access by having extended regular office hours including Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM, Saturdays, 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and 24-hour emergency access. 
• · For people and businesses who need dental insurance, Comfort Dental offers their own dental plans - Gold, Silver and Diamond Plans that offer more discounts on services.
• · Comfort Dental has over 1.5 million patients, and is the largest dental franchise in America. Comfort Dental has 65 offices in Colorado, and additional offices in New Mexico, Ohio, Missouri and Texas. Every office is independently owned by the dentists.
• · Dr. Rick Kushner, D.D.S., founded Comfort Dental in 1977 and pioneered the concept of fair pricing dentistry. Dr. Kushner was recently awarded the prestigious School of Dentistry Outstanding Dental Service Award for outstanding public service from the Marquette University Alumni Association. He is a 1977 Marquette alumnus.
• · Comfort Dental supports many community programs including Special Olympics, Every Kid Plays, a Colorado Rockies youth outreach program, and the Denver Zoo.

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