The Smithville Community Clinic will begin offering free dental care services to uninsured residents in January after the St. David’s Foundation donated a mobile dental facility — the Smithville Smile Bus — to the clinic.

The Smithville Community Clinic, the only free clinic in Bastrop County for uninsured residents, will provide dental screenings, cleanings and possibly some restorative work once a month beginning in January, clinic executive director Janice Bruno said. Dentists Ali Golshani and Sara Golshani of Lakeway will be providing the free services.

The clinic received the bus on Nov. 27, which was one of two busses the St. David’s Foundation was gifting to communities from its fleet of nine buses, Bruno said.

St. David’s fleet of nine mobile dental clinics is the largest mobile dental program — Healthy Smiles program — providing charity care in the nation, according to the foundation’s website. Each mobile clinic is equipped with two dental exam rooms, digital x-rays and computer workstations.

“So many people suffer with illness, pain, depression, loss of hope and financial worries. Well I am here today to tell you that because of the hard work of some amazing people, those days of despair will be long gone,” Smithville Mayor Scott Saunders said at the dental bus' ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 30. “ A hub of hope is in Smithville Texas, a partnership of wellness is in Smithville, Texas.”

Saunders said the free dental services will ensure residents have access to quality health care.

“Everyone should have access to a pain free life of wellness,” Saunders said. “(The Smithville Community Clinic is) an organization that has built partnerships to help those of us that struggle every day with financial security and deciding whether or not you can go to the doctor or put food on the table. If you are sick, you should have a place to go, without the extra stress. Well, this is that place.”

“The St. David’s Foundation, The city of Smithville and the Smithville Community Clinic want you to be healthy, and will continue to work to provide you with all the tools you need to get to the life we all deserve.”

Bruno said dental services will be provided once a month until the clinic can recruit more dentists to volunteer. The clinic currently has 35 people on a waiting list for dental services.

“We want to see Smithville Smile,” Bruno said. “We want people to have good oral health.”

To schedule an appointment, call the clinic at 512-237-2772.

Health care services

The clinic, which is open Wednesdays from 1-5 p.m., provides basic medical health care services, referrals to other medical specialties and disease prevention and management. It is staffed by volunteer doctors and medical workers.

On the first Friday of the month, the clinic provides women’s health services from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. by appointment only.