Free dental care day puts smiles on the faces of hundreds of people in New Port Richey

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - Hundreds of people in the Bay Area will receive free dental care on Friday.

It’s part of an annual event hosted by Dr. Vincent Monticciolo of Monticciolo Family & Sedation Dentistry and the nonprofit he started, Dentistry from the Heart, to offer free dental services to those who can’t afford it.

People will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis at the New Port Richey office located at 5139 Little Road. According to Dr. Monticciolo, they’re expecting around 400 people. By 4:30 a.m., several people were already lined up at the office.

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Dr. Monticciolo, his staff, local dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants will offer free cleanings, free fillings, or free extractions until around four p.m. Friday. Seventy-five total volunteers will help throughout the day.

File: Patient at dentist

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Dr. Monticciolo started the nonprofit Dentistry from the Heart in 2001 to help adults who don’t have access to quality dental care. Since he started the nonprofit, they’ve helped more than 500,000 people and more than $25 million in free dentistry has been donated.

File: Patient at dentist

Untreated decay and abscesses can lead to serious and even life-threatening complications, he said. According to the Florida Department of Health, more than 93,500 people under 65 years old went to the emergency room for preventable visits from dental conditions in 2020. In Pasco County, 2,458 people went to the ER for preventable visits for dental conditions.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Williams died in September from bacterial sepsis, cerebral abscesses, necrotizing pneumonia due to multiple dental cavities or infections, and retained tooth roots.