Garland Church Provides Free Dental Care

GARLAND, TEX. – The Garland Faith Community Seventh-day Adventist Church partnered with Texas A&M University College of Dentistry and other dental volunteers to host a free dental clinic in March. The church transformed its fellowship hall and additional areas into treatment spaces for the event, which provided community residents with free dental services, including screenings, cleanings, fillings and extractions.

Volunteer dentists, dental students and assistants served patients from across the region, including areas beyond Garland. These volunteers brought decades of combined experience and a shared commitment to caring for underserved communities.

By the end of the event, dental teams had completed 173 procedures for 152 patients, helping restore pain-free smiles for many attendees. 

Haircare services were also available, with 23 individuals receiving assistance.

Garland church health ministries leader, Kring Lorenzo, connected with Hoda Abdellatif, director of the community outreach office at Texas A&M, to help organize the event. 

The dental team included Schubert Sapian, a graduate of Loma Linda University School of Dentistry who practices in the Dallas-Fort Worth area; Vinh Trinh, a dentist who travels to serve underserved communities; and Margaret R. McMillan and Abdellatif, both faculty and clinical associate professors at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry. 

This marked the second year the Garland church, pastored by Sean Harris, has offered free dental services to the community. 

By Marcia Waugh

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