Gwinnett Daily Post

For Drs. Nooredin Nurani and Omar Damji and their staff, this weekend will be a new experience, and they're looking forward to the challenge.

The dentists from the Center for Cosmetic and Sedation Dentistry in Lawrenceville plan to volunteer their time Saturday, offering a day of free dental work to the community at their office on Riverside Drive.

Nurani and Damji, along with eight other local dentists, will offer cleanings, fillings and extractions for those who don't have health insurance or cannot afford dental health services.

"We're looking for people who otherwise can't afford this," said Nurani, who's been in practice since 1990.

From 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nurani, Damji and their hygienists will take patients 14 years old and older first come, first served.

"I'm hoping this will set a trend, nd other practices will offer the same type of service like this," Nurani said. "A lot of other offices have said they've done this, and so we'll see how it goes for the first time."

Nurani said he got the idea for the event while at a dental conference in Florida.

"There were dentists there who had done this, and so I thought we should try it," Nurani said.

Damji agreed to assist his co-worker with the event as a way to help others.

"The community has done so well for us, we just want to give back," Damji said. "We're providing a service that some people don't get to have."

Michael and Azita Mansouri, the husband-and-wife duo who run Lawrenceville Family Dental Care, will be among the eight other dentists volunteering their time Saturday.

"I haven't done anything like this before, but I thought this was an excellent event to give back to the community," Mansouri said.

He and his wife will mostly perform extractions and fillings. They'll bring along one of their hygienists to do cleanings, as well, Mansouri said.

Based on the size of the Center for Cosmetic and Sedation Dentistry office and the army of dentists and hygienists slated to volunteer, the dentists expect to be able to serve at least 10 people an hour.

Several dental supply companies have agreed to donate extra materials for their efforts, and Nurani said his practice will also shell out for a few extra items.

"We'll spend a little money, but it's worth it in the end," Nurani said.

If this weekend goes well, the dentists say they hope to offer the free services again next year.

"There's a need for this on every corner, I'd say," Damji said. "Thirty percent of the population doesn't have insurance."