Making children smile
Dr. Craig Harder, left, shows a package of free products families will receive, as Patient Care Coordinator Robin Ramirez watches. Photo by Chrystal Doucette/Columbia Basin Herald
MOSES LAKE — For 10 years, Dr. Craig Harder has made families smile with a free annual dentist visit.
The Moses Lake dentist anticipates a record crowd Feb. 20 at his Free Children’s Dentistry Day.
“It’s going to be a madhouse around here,” Harder said days before the event.
Seventy-four children are signed up so far to receive a free exam, cleaning, and any other work that can be fit into an hour’s time.
Harder said he expects $25,000 worth of work will be donated in a single day.
The event is offered in conjunction with National Children’s Dental Health Month, Harder said.
Last year, just under $12,000 of free dental work was given away. In addition, $10,000 to $11,000 of care was donated to a single youth.
Patients who come in for the free cleaning may not be on welfare — they may simply lack dental insurance, Harder said.
“It becomes a choice of food or health care, and so we hope to alleviate some of that,” he said.
Harder’s staff select one or two patients at the event to receive extensive care.
Last year, they chose a high-school student with a challenging family life and teeth lacking care.
The girl hid her personality before the work was done, Patient Care Coordinator Robin Ramirez recalled.
Harder’s office takes photos of some patients when the dental work is complete.
“At the photo shoot, she was your normal 16-year-old,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez showed the “after” photos to the patient, asking if there was one she liked, and the patient did not respond.
“I looked up and she was crying,” Ramirez said. “She was like, ‘Oh my god. I’m pretty.’”
The free dental work can be as small as helping a child with a tooth, which has been hurting for a long time, she said.
“(For staff), this is a day where they really feel like they’re giving back to the community,” Harder noted.
Ramirez added that the dental staff know how generous Harder is, but its not always visually apparent to the community.
“We kind of get to show him off a little bit, too,” she said.
Appointments are still accepted for Free Children’s Dentistry Day, by calling Dr. Craig Harder at 509-765-4351.
Harder’s office is located at 975 E. Nelson Road in Moses Lake.