A trip to the dentist isn't usually something we look forward to, but in this economy, many are wishing they could afford to go.

Viewer Julie emailed us when she heard UNLV dental students were doing free dental work overseas.

She writes, "normally, a gesture of this nature would make me feel all warm and fuzzy, if my son, an uninsured, out of work carpenter had not been in agony the past two weeks with a toothache. Why can't UNLV be humane to the many uninusred...in Las Vegas?"

Julie asked, so we decided to investigate

"Oh, I had real bad teeth," Sean Kohler says he used to have one rotten smile.

"It was embarassing going anywhere," Sean tells Action News. He's a handyman who's out of work. He says fixing his teeth is something he never thought he could afford.

"I was pulling my own teeth before I came here," Sean says, pointing to his two bottom teeth left. But pretty soon, Sean will have a new set of pearly whites.

That's because he found local dental care at about a third of the cost of a regular dentist. The catch? sean's dentist is a student.

"Our patients are very grateful and we're happy to be able to provide this service for them," Karen West, dean of the UNLV School of Dentistry says.

The UNLV school of dentistry runs two clinics in town where dental students work alongside dentists to offer care at reduced prices. It's a great option for those struggling in this economy.

And in the last 6 months, they've seen more patients than ever before.

"If they've got a toothache and they will bring in verification of their income they will be seen and they will be charge based on that income," Dean West says.

And that gives Sean something to smile about.

"Hopefully with that I can move on, get a better job and all that stuff. Right now theyre not done but when they are done ill feel a hell of a lot better about myself," he smiles.

The dentists at UNLV say, if you have an emergency dental issue or are in a lot of pain, they will take you right away.

For regular checkups, the wait list is about 1 to 2 months.

UNLV School of Dental Medicine, Enterprise Community Practice

(sliding scale fees based on income)

1750 Wheeler Peak Dr.

(702) 648-7231

(702) 648-5789

UNLV School of Dental Medicine, Shadow Lane Clinic

(reduced fees)

1001 Shadow Lane

(702) 774-2400