Free dental care draws early crowd

GAINESVILLE - People lined up early Friday outside Gainesville Dental Group on Thompson Bridge Road for free dental care.

Gainesville Dental Group is participating in the Dentist With a Heart program - a one-day initiative by only about eight dentists nationwide aimed at giving patients with limited means a chance to receive detail care at no charge.

Only the first 75-100 people who showed up were expected to be treated and on a first-come, first-serve basis.

This is not a new program. Over the past three years, participating dentists have performed over $500,000 worth of procedures.