Africa

Local Dentists Give Free Dental Care for Smile Generation Serve Day

Most people hate the going to the dentist but for a family of four- arriving in town just last month from Rwanda, Africa - this appointment is something they've been dreaming about.

Mbombo Mukumbula hasn't seen a dentist in 14 years, and his wife says it's been more than 10 for her because they've never had the means.

They are refugees, and whether they were fleeing a country or just trying to survive in a new one, dental care slides to the bottom of their priority list.

Which is why dentist John Nosti and his team members at Pacific Highlands Dentistry and Orthodontics near Carmel Valley in San Diego County worked this Saturday for free as part of Smile Generation Serve Day.

“We’ve been doing Smile Generation Serve Day for about nine years,” said Nosti.

Smile Generation Serve Day is an annual day of service, and part of a nationwide campaign of giving that focuses on dental care.

It also includes local service projects, such as cleaning up community parks and volunteering at food banks.

"I am not nervous, I am happy to be here because when I come to the dentist office is to find relief for the problems I have been suffering," said Mukumbula.

Ultimately, the family hopes to settle in, work hard, and contribute to their community.

Dreams and smiles coming together in a dental chair.

“We are serving someone who needs the help and they are grateful for it,” said Nosti.

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