The number of people treated at the free dental clinic this year increased to 321 from 306 last year.

NC Missions of Mercy from Alamance County, UNC dental students and pre-dental students, and dentists from Rocky Mount, Greenville, Wilson, Raleigh and Tarboro volunteered their time Friday and Saturday to help those in need of dental care.

Nursing students from Edgecombe Community College helped with the clinic.

The amount of dental work that was done was estimated at about $112,000, an increase from last year’s total of $105,486.

Dr. Steven D. Slott, coordinator of Missions of Mercy, said that they arrived around lunch time on Thursday and began setting up equipment.

Slott said that he consider all of the dentists that volunteer a part of Missions of Mercy.

“We don’t have any paid staff," he said. "We’re depending on all volunteers."

Many people from the community volunteered to help with the clinic.

Quigless said that one volunteer arrived so early for the clinic on Saturday that she slept in her car over night after volunteering on Friday.

People started arriving as early as 5 a.m. on Friday, according to volunteer Stevenson Howard of Tarboro.

People were lined up down East Church Street where the clinic took place.

The dental care was provided in Calvary Episcopal Church’s Memorial Hall.

Howard volunteered last year and this year and received dental treatment at the clinic, as well.

Howard commended those that worked to provide this service to people who wouldn’t be able to be treated without the clinic.

“All of the people that organized this and all of the dentist should be commended for their extra ordinary work,” Howard said.