Free Dentistry a 'Blessing' for 110 Patients

By 6 a.m., more than half the day's patients were lined up around the building. By noon, the clinic at 27871 Medical Center Road couldn't accept any more people.

They came for free dental work, some of it desperately needed. Friday marked the third year dentist Ajay Setya has opened the doors of his Mission Viejo clinic to anyone needing free dental care. This year, seven other dentists joined him for the one-day event.

Patients were grateful and teary-eyed.

Tim Chapin of Laguna Niguel was laid off a few years ago as a landscape architect. He now works at Home Depot, earning $10 an hour at a job that offers no health insurance.

"I'm 58 and my teeth are falling out," he said.

Chapin's wife, a dental hygienist, used to care for his teeth. When she died of breast cancer, Chapin stopped having work done, he said. On Friday, he needed crowns replaced.

Twins Eric Boessler and Erica Schlesner, who will turn 48 this year, found out about the free dental care through Family Assistance Ministries, a San Clemente food bank.

"The beginning of the month, we have to pay rent, so we're kind of slow on food, so we go to the pantry," Schlesner said. "It's good that they have these things. It's a blessing."

Schlesner needed fillings and Boessler needed a tooth pulled.

"It hurts," Boessler said. "It's barely there. There's just pieces of [the tooth]."

Setya said he sees a lot of single mothers on free dentistry day.

"They'll do anything for their kids, but neglect their own health," he said. "That's just how mothers are."

His own mother, Sue Setya, stood nearby.

"They have tears in their eyes when they come into the office," she said.

In all, 24 hygenists, office assitants and other staffers donated their time Friday to help. Dentists Lile Bunar, Ian Rodd, Elli Abtahi, Robert Hirst, Megan Vali, Anne Fingal and Claire Cho joined Setya to donate their services. Two guards were donated by Gladiator Security to help handle the crowds.