A free dental clinic at King’s Fork Middle School will put smiles on faces next month.

Clinic coordinator Ralph Howell of R.L. Howell DDS and Associates, a practitioner of dentistry in Suffolk for 25 years, said the effort, set for March 7-8, will involve about 300 volunteers.

“Of that, about 75 are dentists, and there’s about 60 (dentistry) students,” he said. “Then the others are general volunteers.”

The volunteer army will perform a wide range of dental work, including examinations, cleanings, fillings, extractions, and limited numbers of root canals and dentures.

“The major ones are fillings and extractions,” he said.

Howell said Western Tidewater is one of the state’s most underserved areas for dental care. The Virginia Dental Association Foundation introduced the Mission of Mercy free clinics in 2000, he added, but this would be the first held in this region.

“I have been involved in them from the beginning,” said Howell, who also mentioned that clinics have been held previously in Wise County, on the Eastern Shore and in Gloucester County.

Howell’s interest in providing the needy with dental care dates back to his student days. “When I was in dental school, we did a mission trip to Jamaica,” he said.

“Then in 2000 we did a project in (Virginia), and I realized we don’t have to go out of the state or the country to find people in need.”

Operating on a first-come, first-served basis, the clinic is open to anyone, regardless of financial situation, Howell said, adding there’s no need to even bring identification.

But it is only for adults, he said, given that children are covered under Medicaid, while no government program covers dental care for adults.

Folks can be guaranteed a spot by attending the March 7 screening session, from 3 to 5 p.m. The main event the following day is from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Howell said the target is to serve 500 people, but “we can probably go upward to 700 — it just depends on what they need.”

People needing dentures are required to screen ahead of time by calling Lauren at 539-7695, Howell said.

The clinic has been made possible with two grants, he said, one from the Obici Healthcare Foundation and another from the Virginia Health Care Foundation.

For more information, including for volunteers wishing to register, visit www.vdaf.org/Suffolk-MOM-Project.