Doctors with a Heart Day returns this weekend

BINGHAMTON (WBNG) - Coming up Sept. 17, Doctors with a Heart Day will return to the Southern Tier. Over at Progressive Dental’s Endwell and Norwich offices, free services will be offered this Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon.

For over 25 years, this free annual service has been offered to residents in need, which didn’t take a pause during the earlier days of the pandemic.

In addition to x-rays and fluoride, Doctor Marcus Spera said cleanings, fillings, and extractions will also be available as those services can be done in a single day.

To take advantage of this weekend’s event, there’s no registration option. “I do recommend getting here early because the line gets pretty long,” said Spera. “People camp out sometimes.”

If we don’t keep up with our dental work, Spera went over the ripple effect this can cause. “If you don’t take care of a tooth when it could get a filling, it might end up needing a root canal or might end up being extracted,” he said. “If you get too many teeth extracted, it can affect what kind of foods you can eat. If you don’t get regular cleanings, that can affect not just your oral health, but also your gut bacteria biome, your heart health, your kidneys. It really is the entryway to the rest of your system.”

According to their website, the event is for “those with urgent dental needs who have no money, job, or means of welfare or healthcare.”

The Endwell office is located at 565 Hooper Rd. and the Norwich site is at 106 S. Broad St.