Dental treatments at St. Luke’s Community Center soaring

There’s a list of applicants for dental treatment stretching into 2018 at the St. Luke Community Clinic in Front Royal as its expanded, oral health practice is well into its second year.  Hundreds of low-income and indigent patients have been treated and scores more are awaiting that all-important dental care.

Fake news alert! Dr. Frederick Broadhead hams it up with a phony patient (Kelly Haley) to help illustrate our accompanying article on the St. Luke dental clinic. Photo/Malcolm Barr Sr.

While retired St. Luke Executive Director Glen Burdick dreamed the dream of a dental clinic for our community’s needy back in 2013 – and St. Luke founder Dr. Furadoon Irani dreamed the same dream years before that – it was Dr. Frederick Broadhead who spearheaded development of a full dental clinic at St. Luke, opening for business in October 2015.

His team of dedicated volunteer dentists has since grown to four, including his sister, Dr. Daisy Broadhead; Dr. Harry Sartell; and Dr. Arthi Marti.  Then there’s the supporting cast of assistants and technicians including Burdick, Kathy Haley and Missy Wilkins, both of whom work at the Broadhead siblings’ practice on Sixth Street, and Front Royal dental technician Bill Hatch.  Even the new executive director, Vicki Davies, helps out with the dental program, Irani said.

In less than two years, this team, plus a part-time salaried dentist, Dr. Sana Kazmi, have provided free dental care to 1,500 women and 860 men of Warren County who could not otherwise have afforded this important adjunct to overall physical health.

St. Luke founder Irani, who remains a member of the board of directors, credited “unbelievable public support” for the early success of the dental clinic “of which we are immensely proud.”  He said the support not only comes in financial contributions, but also with scores of volunteers who donate hundreds of hours to all aspects of St. Luke’s services.

Each of the dentists has their specialties, from restorations to fillings to extractions, and recently Fred Broadhead said, with Hatch’s help, patients are being fitted with custom-made dentures.

A two-room office in the St. Luke building at 316 North Royal Avenue accommodates donated dental chairs and are fully equipped; some of the furniture coming from the Stephens City office of retired dentist Dr. Byron Brill, and more from similar free clinics, Woodstock for example, that had to fold through lack of funding.

Financing for the St. Luke’s operation has come from many sources, the principal donor being the United Way, Broadhead said.