Lakeview Dental's Free Dental Day is Friday

COEUR d'ALENE — If you need a tooth pulled, a cavity filled or a dental cleaning, you can do it for free from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday.

Lakeview Dental is providing these services during the clinic's Free Dental Day, a special day when dentists and staff volunteer their time, skills and services to the community.

"When you find a greater purpose in it, it makes me feel fortunate to be in a profession that allows us to do this," said Spencer Wirig, DMD. "I wouldn’t want to be anything else."

This is the second year for the event, which is open to anyone 18 and older. Wirig said about 45 people were helped during last year's Free Dental Day and the clinic is hoping to again serve at least that many people.

"We were cooking," he said. "We were working hard all day."

Free Dental Day is purposely scheduled near Valentine's Day and its tagline is "dentistry with love."

"It really comes back to our mission," Wirig said. "We have a vision of why we do everything we do, and that’s 365 days a year. We believe that dentistry can change people’s lives. Any day we come to work, we think, ‘Whose lives are we going to change? Whose life can we improve, whose smile can we improve, who can we help make feel better?’"

Wirig said dental care and overall health go hand in hand.

"You can’t have full health without oral health and you can’t have oral health without taking better care of your body," he said. "It’s all connected."

Wirig and his associate, S. Brett DeLawter, as well as the entire staff, will be on site during Free Dental Day. Wirig said the event draws people of all ages and all financial situations.

"Finances are a limiting factor for a lot of people," he said. "This allows us to see people that we may not otherwise get a chance to see."

Those who go to Free Dental Day will have the choice of one filling, one extraction or a standard cleaning. Wirig said it's important for people to arrive early, such as 7 a.m. or even 6:30 a.m., because slots fill and lines form quickly. Patients will be helped on a first-come, first-served basis.

"It makes you realize that you want to do more," he said. "We realize that we’ll be turning people away at the end and that breaks your heart."

Wirig said he has to give his staff all the credit for volunteering their time.

"They are the hardest-working group of people that I’ve ever met," he said. "I am in awe of them."

And they're compassionate; Wirig said just about everyone in his office has experienced dental procedures from the patient's perspective at one time or another.

"Because we’ve been there, we can empathize with the heartbreak that you feel when you’re losing teeth, or missing something or something hurts," he said. "Maybe we can’t solve all their problems, but maybe all they need is a boost or a start. Sometimes, all that you need is a start, and then you can come in later and continue with things."

Lakeview Dental is located at 801 W. Milwaukee Drive in Coeur d'Alene.

Info: 664-0884 or drwirigdmd@gmail.com