WATSONTOWN, Pa. — It was a packed house at Dr. Carl Jenkins' dentist office in Watsontown. For the ninth year, Dr. Jenkins closed the office to his regular patients and welcomed veterans for free.
We open the phones at 7 a.m., and within 20-30 minutes, we have the entire day booked," Jenkins said.
Dr. Jenkins' goal is to give back to the men and women who served our country. He helps the vets out with whatever they need.
"A large variety of things. Some people just need a cleaning. We have done root canals in the past. Today we did two crowns," he stated.
Linwood Knight of Montgomery served 8 years in the United States Navy. He appreciates the free dental service.
"Oh, it is great for a checkup," said Knight. "I am scared of the dentist, I don't really like going. But I know I need to go, and what they are offering here is great for us."
Dr. Jenkins is a veteran himself. He says many people close to him have also served or are currently still serving.
"I have a special place in my heart for veterans. My father is a veteran. I have a daughter and son-in-law serving currently. A friend of mine a bunch of years ago asked if I ever thought about doing something like this for veterans, and it just really kicked that this would be a great service," he added.
Dr. Jenkins says he plans to host this event for the foreseeable future.