Years ago, a trip to the dentist was frightening.

There were many jokes about the pain suffered at a typical dental office – pliers, bandages wrapped around the head, swollen cheeks – not a very positive visual.

Today, dental care is 180 degrees different.

Good thing too.

Technology has made it all more comfortable, and relatively pain-free.

Still, a significant number of Californians face barriers to dental care – not because of fear, but because of access.

So on Sept. 27–28, at the National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino, a free dental clinic will provide dental care to about 1,900 people over the two days.

Patients will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis Friday and Saturday, and families will be seen together. Doors open both days at 5:30 a.m.

This clinic is not just exams and cleaning.

This large-scale, two-day event is known as CDA Cares, with hundreds of dentists and dental professionals providing fillings, extractions, cleanings, limited dentures and partial dentures, root canals on front teeth, oral health education and assistance finding ongoing care.

The free volunteer clinic, California Dental Association Cares, is hosted by the California Dental Association Foundation to improve oral health by providing dental care at no charge to those in need.

CDA Cares has been offering the free clinics since 2012 in cities throughout the state including – Pomona, Anaheim, Ventura, Stockton and Sacramento.

Total CDA Cares impact since 2012:

Free care to 28,560 people

$23.66 million in dental care

25,410 volunteers, including dentists and dental professionals

Each CDA Cares event relies on hundreds of volunteers from the dental profession and the greater community.

Between 700 and 800 dental and health professionals are needed.

Community volunteers are needed to register patients and volunteers, to help set up, enter treatment data, escort patients, and interpret.

Organizer of the local event is Riverside dentist Dr. Gerald Middleton, who is doing the local groundwork. Middleton has volunteered at many of the clinics throughout the state.

“We will actually be doing complete dentures,” he said. “We have a technique that has been perfected that works very well. These are the ones that are really heartwarming. People will call us back and say they have gotten jobs because now they have teeth and self-esteem.”

Self-esteem is deflated so much when people are missing teeth, Middleton said.

“Those are some of the nice things we’ve been able to do for people, also the root canals on front teeth, because we don’t want to lose those teeth if we don’t have to. If we can save the tooth, we want to do that,” he said.

“Extractions are some of the things we will be doing because people come in with severe pain and infections — and that’s our main goal — to decrease pain and infection but if we can increase someone’s self-esteem by replacing a decayed front tooth or replacing some front teeth with partials, or replacing all their teeth, it’s a pretty emotional event.”

This event is transforming smiles and lives.

There are a lot of tears — those giving and those getting, according to Middleton, who has had his Riverside practice since 1992.

About 1,500 volunteers are needed for the clinic, he said.

“We even have a pediatrics section so the whole family can be together when we see them.”

For more information or to volunteer, call 877-516-8854; or go to cdafoundation.org.

Michel Nolan appears Fridays. Reach her at michelnolan77@gmail.com.