People began lining up at the door of Dr. Charles Hawkins dental practice at 5 a.m. to secure an appointment during  Free Dental Day 

Friday marks the seventh annual Free Dental Day at Hawkins Complete Dental Service.

The event gave people in the community that may not be able to afford health insurance or basic dental procedures the opportunity to receive some dental care.

“There are so many people who are unable to afford the simplest of dental services and usually those people are having to deal with pain and discomfort,” Hopkins, who is participating in her sixth Free Dental Day, said. “So, this allows us to give back to the community and it really allows us to share our talents and gifts that we have to help those people out, and to do whatever we can to ease their difficulties and hardships.”

There was a sign posted on the entrance door to Hawkins’ office apologizing that all available appointments for the day had been claimed. The staff said they served roughly 45 patients throughout the four-hour-long event.

“When we got here at 7:30 in the morning, we already had a line out the front door,” Hawkins said. “So, it’s going to be a busy, busy day.”

While Friday was a busy day for the staff, the community they were serving showed nothing but gratitude and appreciation toward them.

“Everybody is being really appreciative of the services we’re providing, even down to the person that was here at 5 o’clock in the morning to get his spot for the day,” Karelle Hopkins, a dental hygienist and Hawkins’ Implant Coordinator, said. “Everything is running really smooth.”

Hawkins expressed his gratitude for the staff he has that donates their time to the event, as well as the community that surrounds his practice.

The staff, along with Hawkins, offered procedures ranging from extractions to cleanings and fillings. Regardless of the procedure, the crowd at Hawkins’ office was thankful for their appointments.

“Oh, people are grateful, very, very grateful that we’re doing this,” Hawkins said. “And it’s a lot of fun for us, to give back to the community.”