Ukich: Dental day was very popular

SANDPOINT - Most new businesses celebrate with a grand opening that offers potential customers a free hot dog or a gift bag full of promotional items, but rarely does a business give away $12,000 of free service.

That was the case on Sept. 13, when Dr. John Ukich christened his new clinic, Pediatric Dental Center of North Idaho, by giving more than 50 children free dental work. Ukich and his staff performed exams, teeth cleanings, X-rays and minor dental work for area children and their grateful parents.

Free or not, kids don't generally light up at the prospect of going to the dentist, so Ukich brought in a fire truck and a number of firefighters to help make the experience little more fun.

As medical cost continue to rise, those without health insurance are often forced to decide between a child's dental check up or a week's worth of groceries, which is one reason Ukich was inspired to host the event.

Because his office is new to the area, Ukich was unsure about the level of community interest for the event, but after noticing families waiting outside the office a full 90 minutes before the clinic opened, he knew it was going to be a good day.

"Everyone was really grateful. We had people come over from Montana, Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint - people coming from all over - and I think it went really well," Ukich said.

Ukich, who shares another clinic with his father in Coeur d'Alene, has hosted free dentistry days before, but said the Sandpoint event was his most successful to date.

"We've done free dental days before down in Coeur d'Alene and we didn't always get people that were grateful. It was kind of like they just expected it, but the people in Sandpoint were really thankful, which was a real treat for us," Ukich said.