A volunteer-run dentist clinic staffed entirely by community members provided free dental and medical services to 150 patients on Saturday, serving both walk-ins and pre-registered visitors, organizers said.
“Every person you see here is 100% volunteer,” said Loc Nguyen, the nonprofit’s director of finance and a parishioner at Christ the Redeemer.
The operation relied on more than 170 volunteers, including doctors, dental assistants and medical students from Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Maryland, Baltimore and Howard University.
The clinic ran on an assembly-line model to maximize efficiency. After check-in, volunteers took patients’ blood pressure and performed dental screenings. Patients were given colored wristbands to indicate treatment needs: red for extraction, yellow for filling and green for cleaning.
X-rays were available on site, and a separate station administered local anesthesia for procedures. Sterilization was handled by a disinfectant station using specialized equipment; volunteers then wiped and repackaged instruments between uses.
Organizers noted that procedures performed at the clinic—such as extractions and fillings—typically cost thousands of dollars when billed commercially.
The nonprofit estimated the total value of free cleanings and procedures provided that day at more than $61,500. Children were seen by a pediatric dentist as part of the services offered.
A large kitchen team kept volunteers fed throughout the event. MaryAnna Nguyen, who has volunteered since second grade, called the organization “like a second family” and said many young people take healthcare access and insurance for granted. “Everyone deserves equal equity to health care and medical access,” she said.