One of the days I look forward to most at CarolinasDentist is Dental Care Day. It’s a big undertaking for our team, but it’s also one of the most rewarding things we do.

This year marks our sixth annual Dental Care Day. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 14, we’ll open our Pointe office to provide free dental care to anyone in our community who needs it.

Doctors from across our CarolinasDentist offices in the Wilmington area will come together to offer services including tooth extractions, root canals and dental hygiene cleanings – all at no cost to patients.

One thing we’ve learned over the years is how important it is to make sure language isn’t another barrier between someone and the dental care they need. Many of the people we see on Dental Care Day are Spanish-speaking patients. We’re fortunate to have two Spanish-speaking dentists, Dr. Claudia and Dr. Moore, on our team. We also partner with UNCW’s Latino Alliance, which provides dozens of Spanish-speaking volunteers to help with interpretation throughout the event.

Their help makes a tremendous difference. It allows us to focus on taking care of our patients while making their experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible.

Last year, our team provided about $150,000 worth of dental services for free during Dental Care Day. While that number is meaningful, what matters to me most are the people behind it.

There are so many individuals in our community who need dental care but don’t have the financial resources or dental insurance to get it. Dental problems don’t wait until someone can afford to address them, and delaying treatment can allow a relatively simple problem to become much more serious.

That’s why this day matters.

Giving back to the community where I live and work has always been important to me. I’ve participated in dental mission trips to Guatemala, Senegal and the Dominican Republic, providing care through free clinics. Those experiences have been incredibly meaningful, but they’ve also reinforced something for me: There is plenty of need right here at home.

I live, work, and play in this community. I care about this area, and I want to take care of it.

Dental Care Day is our way of doing that. It has become an important part of our company’s culture and who we are as a team. And while organizing an event of this size takes a tremendous amount of planning and preparation, it’s absolutely worth it.

Another group that is especially important to me is our veterans. I completed a dental fellowship program at the VA, and I’m proud that our office is building a professional relationship with the organization. I’m grateful for every opportunity I have to spend time with veterans and provide care, whether that means restorative treatment or helping them establish a regular cleaning routine.

At the end of the day, dentistry is about much more than teeth. It’s about people, community and finding ways to make a difference in the lives of those around us.

Dental Care Day gives our entire team the opportunity to do exactly that, and I’m incredibly grateful that we get to do it each year.