Christopher Beavers was in pain.
An impacted wisdom tooth - long ignored - had pushed into an adjacent molar and cracked it. Infection was about to set in.
"I was told four years ago I should have got it done," the 28-year-old said. "But I said, 'No. It doesn't hurt now.'"
It hurt on Friday, Sept. 28, until he finally got it treated at California Dental Group's Emergency Treatment Day, a free service provided to the community at the practice's North Hollywood location.
California Dental Group hosts Emergency Treatment Days throughout the year at its four locations in North Hollywood, North Glendale, South Glendale and Eagle Rock.
Beavers was one of more than 20 patients to take advantage of the free dental work - from fillings to extractions - provided by Dr.
Kamran Sahabi, founder of California Dental Group.
"We do it to give back to the community," Sahabi said. "It makes us feel good."
Catalina Lopez, 26, of North Hollywood, felt good after she left the Magnolia Boulevard office. Like Beavers, she also had a wisdom tooth removed.
Sahabi said the practice's Emergency Treatment Days usually bring in patients who don't get regular dental work done. Neglected teeth can often present more serious situations.
That's why the dental practice hosts several community awareness events each year - from its emergency treatment days to educational outreach that includes a candy buyback program the week of Halloween. Children can cash in their trick-or-treat candy, a potential source of tooth decay, for $2 a pound.
"It's our obligation to do something for the community," Sahabi said. "As a dentist, it's important to educate people on good oral hygiene. As a human being, it's important to share the blessings that God has given us."
Geronimo Moran of Pacoima was happy to have been able to get his loose crown fixed for free. The process at California Dental Group was quick and painless, he said.
"I normally hate going to the dentist," he said. "But they make me feel at ease."
The dental practice specializes in cosmetic, emergency and general dentistry. For information, call 1-800-734-7454 or visit
www.cadentalgroup.com.