Dentist’s office has holiday spirit

When Kevin Hintz was in dental school, he promised himself he would donate his services to people who couldn’t afford to pay the cost of care.

And he hasn’t waited to make good on that promise.

Less than six months after opening a practice in Post Falls, Hintz and his team spent Friday treating people free of charge.

He saw two families he learned about from the Post Falls Food Bank and two of his own patients who have fallen on hard times. “You have to start somewhere,” said Hintz, a Spokane native. “Even if it’s one day, it makes a difference to families.”

Andrea Miller can attest to that. For the mother of four and a foster parent for the past six years, dental insurance just isn’t affordable right now. She heard about Hintz from the food bank.

Miller has had several teeth pulled because she couldn’t pay for treatment.

But Friday, as she sat watching “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” on the screen in front of her, Miller was treated to veneers on her upper front teeth. The veneers usually cost $500 a tooth, because the materials are expensive and dentists must have special training to do the procedure.

Down the hall, her husband, Todd, had his teeth cleaned – a $660 treatment – while he listened to Christian rock. “It’s incredible,” Todd Miller said of Hintz’s gesture.

Todd Miller delivers pizza for Domino’s and worked in construction before that. He hasn’t had a job that offers dental insurance. “It’s just outrageous to pay for it on my own,” he said. “We just don’t have the resources.”

As his patients left with shinier, cleaner and fuller teeth, Hintz and his wife, Richelle, handed them green- and red-wrapped presents and groceries for a Christmas dinner.