BUCKEYE, Ariz. — A man who was wrongfully convicted and spent more than two decades in prison received life-changing dental care at no cost.
“They had me in prison for 25 years for a crime I did not commit,” said Ralph Earnest.
Earnest was wrongfully convicted of a crime he didn’t commit in 1982 and sentenced to life in prison. It wasn’t until 2005 and 2006 his convictions were vacated, after serving more than two decades in prison.
“25 years later… 24 years, 9 months and 4 days later,” he said. “…they take me to court, to be released.”
Earnest was released in 2006.
“They dropped all the charges and said we’re sorry Mr. Earnest, but we’re not going to be able to give you any monetary compensation, so I had to deal with that first of all,” he said.
Now Earnest is working to transform his life and, in that journey, part of rebuilding his life means getting comprehensive dental treatment.
At Sundance Dental Group in Buckeye, he’s received life-changing dental care at no cost, as part of the annual Smile Generation Serve Day.
“We bring in patients, that for various reasons haven’t been able to have access to care, and we offer them free services,” said Dr. Don Parker.
It’s a significant step toward restoring Earnest's overall health and well-being.
“The mouth is connected to the rest of your body,” said Parker. “So if your mouth isn’t healthy, the rest of your body can’t be healthy.”
Parker said Earnest is just one of the many people benefiting from the initiative.
“They come in, we diagnose the treatment that they need, and we take care of as much as we can do in a day,” said Parker.
Smile Generation and After Innocence, an organization that supports wrongfully convicted individuals in rebuilding their lives after incarceration, partnered to make this day happen.
“It allows me to help people that haven’t been able to be helped,” said Parker. “…and we’re all blessed with talents in our life, and this is just a way to give back.”
It’s a day Parker looks forward to every year.
“It’s fun to see how it can change their lives,” Parker said.
And it’s more than just a day of service: it's a vital step toward addressing healthcare disparities while supporting the future of some of the most vulnerable Arizonans.
“It’s much appreciated,” said Earnest. “…and I need it after all those years.”
Smile Generation Serve Day has provided more than $57 million dollars in donated care to more than 27,000 patients since 2011.
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