"What can she eat?" asks her father, Walter, in his heavy Spanish accent.

The nurse replies, "Soft food, no hot soup, nothing with small seeds such as berries, and no straw."

Then, at the sound of a familiar voice, Jacklyn opens her eyes.

"You did a good job," says the surgeon. "You'll be fine."

Seven-year-old Jacklyn and her parents will be more than fine, thanks to Dr. Kenneth Follmar, an oral surgeon in Los Gatos. And so will approximately 600 other underprivileged children throughout the Santa Clara Valley who participated in the third annual Dentist With a Heart program, sponsored by The Health Trust in conjunction with the Santa Clara County Dental Association.

On Feb. 12, 70 dentists from Gilroy to Palo Alto donated their time and money, treating children and young adults ages 1 through 19, who come from financially troubled families. Patients were prescreened by organizations affiliated with the trust in January and assigned to certain offices based on need and location. Other groups pitched in as well, including a group of Saratoga elementary students who raised $931 and donated it to The Health Trust and the Yellow Checker Cab Company, who gave free rides to those in need of transportation.

For the first time, the trust has expanded to include orthodontists, periodontists and endodontists in the program. In addition, seven dentists will provide 10 children with free orthodontic treatment, which typically entails a two-year commitment.

Walter, whose family moved to the U.S. from El Salvador two years ago, says he is extremely grateful for the program and Follmar, who extracted nine of Jacklyn's primary teeth that were broken and badly decayed at the gum line. According to Follmar, a procedure like this would normally cost $1,500.

"This should have been taken care of earlier," says Follmar. "I feel bad that she had to go through all these years with such bad dental conditions and pain. Things like this are not acceptable in this country."

Walter, who heard about the program through his recently acquired insurance, says his daughter has only been to a dentist once in her life and never really complained about pain. However, David Lees, the director of the Children's Dental Initiative at The Health Trust, says that it is not uncommon that kids keep quiet, even if they are in pain.

"Some of these kids are in pain or discomfort for so long that they accept it as part of the growing process," Lees says.

Jacklyn was one of three patients that Follmar treated. In another case, he extracted two teeth that were impinging on his patient's tongue and took out four wisdom teeth. With another patient, he extracted one tooth that was causing severe overcrowding in the patient's mouth. Follmar saved the families a significant amount of money; all three procedures translated to a total of $4,500.

"I'm more than happy to help underprivileged kids," says Follmar, who has participated in the program since it began. "I plan on participating in the future as well. It's a very well organized program."

Saratoga resident and dentist, Dr. Duane Fong, says he also looks forward to participating in the next event. Fong, a pediatric dentist of 20 years, and his assistants performed basic procedures on 18 patients, from simple to deep cleanings, x-rays, fluoride treatments and fillings. They volunteered seven hours of their time and gave away $3,200 worth in procedures.

One patient, who was referred to the program by his teacher, even got a root canal, which normally costs approximately $700. The patient, according to Fong, had swollen gums caused by abscess, or pockets of infection. According to what his patient told him, Fong says his mother tried to drain some of the liquid in the gums by poking it with a pin, but swelling remained.

Fong says that if the problem was left untreated, it could eventually affect the brain.

"We caught this in time," he says. "But how many other problems go untreated?"

The patient also had one tooth that was partially broken off with its roots still in the gum. With so many patients scheduled and limited time for each, Fong referred the patient back to The Health Trust for additional help and to an oral surgeon.

"Unfortunately, there's only so much we can do given the little time we have," Fong says.

However, he adds that he would be willing to continue seeing some of these patients.

When Fong first heard about the program through his dental association, he says he didn't even have to think twice about what he had to do.

"There aren't as many underprivileged kids [in Saratoga], but there are kids in other areas who could use some help," Fong says. "I knew from the start that I had to get involved and I'm glad I did. Just seeing the smiles on these kids faces, as well as on their parents', is rewarding enough."

Throughout the day, Fong saw a broad range of need. Some patients had teeth that were in fairly good condition, but the more deprived children had serious decay, a common problem among the underprivileged.

Luis Deltoro, a sixth-grader at Christopher Elementary School in San Jose, and his two younger sisters, Isamar and Melissa, were some of Fong's patients who took time away from school to get a spot on his appointment book. Deltoro didn't exactly leave with a clean bill of dental health; he did not have any cavities, but discovered he had gum disease, a problem associated with not brushing and flossing properly.

"I've seen people floss before on TV, but no one ever really showed me how to do it," Deltoro says.

At one point during his examination, he looked up at Fong, who was assessing his x-ray, and asked, "Where can you get floss? How much does it cost? Is it expensive?"

It's a simple question that many others like Deltoro have no answer to.

Fong says he's not surprised that some kids may not know the basics of dental care.

"Some kids have never even been to a dentist. For these kids, it's a whole new world. They don't have exposure to the things that we take for granted, such as floss," he says.

Fong also points out that most underprivileged kids and their parents do not fully understand the importance of having healthy teeth.

"The mouth is the portal to the body," Fong says. "Bad oral hygiene affects overall mental and physical health. It can affect nutrition and diet, learning and self-esteem."

Deltoro's mother, Edubiges, says she understands that having good dental practices and going to a dentist on a regular basis means fewer problems in the future. However, she says that money has been tight. Her husband, a construction worker, is the only one in the family bringing in income. She quit her job two years ago to take care of her kids, leaving them without dental insurance.

"It's hard for us, especially when we have four young kids to take care of," Edubiges says. "And, dental work can be expensive. We don't have money for that."

According to a study conducted by The Health Trust, one out of every four Hispanic students in elementary school experience pain or swelling in the classroom. In addition, 50 percent of the kindergarten population starts school with untreated tooth decay.

"There are 120,000 kids in Santa Clara Valley who have difficulty finding dental care," Lees says. "We don't have to go to a third world country to see children with severely neglected teeth."

In addition to underprivileged children, Dentist With a Heart also helps middle class families during tough economic times such as these, according to Dr. Simon Morris, a dentist in Los Gatos who helped coordinate the event.

"A lot of people have been laid off and without health insurance," Morris says. "These people need help as well."

Although the program is a one-day event, Morris sees it as an ongoing process. He's taken it upon himself to continue treating some of the underprivileged kids for free.

"It feels good knowing that I'm making a difference in someone's life," Simon says. "This program helps bring out the best in us."

It also helps bring out some pretty bright smiles for some thankful children.