Costa Mesa dentist donates care on service day, filling teeth and gaps in healthcare access

Costa Mesa dentist Clint Walker recently gave a group of area residents reasons to smile, providing free crowns, fillings and other needed procedures in a daylong event designed to improve oral health and access to dental care.

The practitioner on Aug. 19 was joined by four dental assistants and three office workers, who volunteered their time for Smile Generation Serve Day, a nationwide event that funds dental work for those who don’t have insurance or who cannot afford it.

On a single Saturday, the team at 17th Street Modern Dentistry provided $35,000 worth of work for seven individuals.

The effort is a collaboration of two enterprises that work with dentists and patients nationwide. Pacific Dental Services provides consultant services, training and technology for dental offices, while Smile Generation offers dental plans and financing options for customers.

Long Beach resident Chad Taulbee before and after receiving $6,390 in free dental work from 17th Street Modern Dentistry in Costa Mesa.

(Courtesy of 17th Street Modern Dentistry)

Together, they partner with various dentists in their networks, who agree to perform the work for free.

“We’ve done it every year,” said Walker, who established his Costa Mesa practice in 2018. “It’s just a way to give back but also help patients in need, people who maybe life has hit them and they just need a little help to get back on track.”

That was the case for Chad Taulbee, a 35-year-old Long Beach bartender who’d been hiding his imperfect smile for years. He put off dental visits for years and struggled financially during the pandemic.

“I’d lost my job and couldn’t get unemployment. I was living on the bare minimum,” he recalled. “I hadn’t had a cleaning in maybe 10 years — [my teeth] were busted.”

Taulbee was at a friend’s barbecue and getting some ribbing about his teeth, when another attendee, who happened to work for Pacific Dental Services, approached him about participating in the free service day.

Dentist Clint Walker, right, of 17th Street Modern Dentistry, poses with client Chad Taulbee on Smile Generation Serve Day.

(Courtesy of 17th Street Modern Dentistry)

He visited Walker for an initial consultation and was approved for a deep cleaning, fillings and two front tooth crowns that would have cost $6,390. Taulbee said he was touched by an act of kindness that arrived at just the right time.

“I’m a scraggly looking dude. But they were humble and took me on. I’m thankful and I want to reciprocate back and help somebody else, too,” he added.

David Feagin, who works in the kitchen at the Costa Mesa Country Club, had six teeth extracted and received a partial denture, work totaling $13,448.

Costa Mesa resident David Feagin before and after receiving $13,448 in free dental care during Smile Generation Serve Day.

(Courtesy of 17th Street Modern Dentistry)

“Not having teeth, I always thought that no one would hire me since that’s the first thing they see,” he said. “Now, I’m not afraid to be seen, I’m not afraid to talk to people — it’s been life changing.”

Walker said while some people may avoid dentists out of fear or a lack of funds, maintaining healthy teeth and gums can be crucial to a person’s overall health.

“More research has been showing oral health affects the rest of your body,” he said, describing a “mouth-body connection.” “Sometimes, the first sign you’ll see that something is wrong in your body is in the mouth.”

The hope is that people helped during the serve day might decide to continue their treatment, the dentist explained. But even if they don’t, at least their most immediate needs have been addressed.

“We’re just trying to meet people where they are,” he said.