PORTLAND – Tyler Brinkmann is a runner, so he eats a lot of energy bars and other sugary foods.

That can mean cavities for Brinkmann, who is self-employed and lacks dental insurance.

So when the fourth annual Day of Dentists Who Care About ME rolled around Friday, he was one of the first in line at the Family Dentistry practice on Auburn Street.

“I got here at 6:30 a.m. and I was sixth in line,” he said.

“I brought a book and a cup of coffee.”

In fact, all but four hygienist appointments at Family Dentistry were gone by 8:30 a.m., showing the need for the event offering free dental care.

Brinkmann got a filling and a lecture — again — about flossing. He has paid for previous fillings, but it’s easy to let oral health take a back seat to other expenses, he said.

“It’s a wonderful program,” Brinkmann said.

Participating dentists and hygienists across southern Maine gave each patient one free service: a cleaning, an extraction, a filling, or a referral if the patient needed a specialist.

“None of these people have insurance, and these are people who have fallen on tough economic times and we’re here to help them,” said Dr. Barry Saltz, who helped to organize the event.

“It’s a wonderful feeling for us to be able to carry out that service,” he said.

Thirty-one dentists and a number of hygienists and support staff provided free care in 13 offices that were closed to regular patients Friday.

Saltz, whose office is on Stevens Avenue in Portland, treated patients Friday at Dunstan Dental Center in Scarborough.

Saltz said 27 dentists participated last year.

He said many of the patients who come to the clinics have neglected their oral health and might be referred to the University of New England’s dental hygiene clinic for additional cleaning or to community dental groups.

Karen Blanchard-McIntosh of South Portland said her son gets dental care through MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid program, but she doesn’t.

She learned about the Day of Dentists Who Care About ME while running an errand for a client.

By the time she and her mother, Dottie Blanchard, tried to get in, it was too late.

By mid-afternoon Friday, offices had closed their doors and posted signs saying they were no longer accepting appointments.

Last year, Blanchard-McIntosh and other people in her neighborhood took advantage of the event.

Dottie Blanchard pointed out a cavity in an upper bicuspid that was just starting to hurt. She hopes to get it filled before it gets worse.

Blanchard-McIntosh said she knows that, while it’s expensive, oral care is important.

“If you don’t start with your mouth, then the rest of your health is going to go,” she said. “Even if it’s just a yearly exam.”

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@pressherald.com