West Valley dental group helps wrongfully convicted man

BUCKEYE, Arizona – A man who was wrongfully convicted and spent more than two decades in prison received life-changing dental treatment for free.

“They put me in prison for 25 years for a crime I didn’t commit,” said Ralph Earnest.

Earnest was wrongfully convicted in 1982 for a crime he did not commit and sentenced to life in prison. His convictions were only overturned in 2005 and 2006, after he had spent more than two decades in prison.

“25 years later… 24 years, 9 months and 4 days later,” he said, “…they're taking me to court to get me released.”

“Earnest” was released in 2006.

“They dropped all charges and said, 'We're sorry, Mr. Earnest, but we're not going to be able to pay you any financial compensation, so I had to deal with that first,'” he said.

Now Ernest is working to turn his life around, and to that end, rebuilding means undergoing extensive dental treatment.

He received free, life-changing dental treatment at Sundance Dental Group in Buckeye as part of the annual Smile Generation Serve Day.

“We accept patients who have not had access to medical care for various reasons and offer them free services,” said Dr. Don Parker.

This is an important step towards restoring Ernest’s overall health and well-being.

“The mouth is connected to the rest of your body,” Parker said. “So if your mouth is not healthy, the rest of your body can't be healthy.”

Parker said Earnest is just one of many people who will benefit from the initiative.

“They come in, we diagnose the treatment they need and take care of as much as we can in a day,” Parker said.

Smile Generation and After Innocence, an organization that helps wrongfully convicted people rebuild their lives after prison, have joined forces to make this day possible.

“It allows me to help people who haven't been helped before,” Parker said. “…and we're all blessed with talents 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 commitment: It's a critical step toward eliminating health care disparities and securing the future of some of Arizona's most vulnerable citizens.

“I really appreciate it,” Earnest said, “…and I need it after all these years.”

Smile Generation Serve Day has provided over $57 million in donated care to over 27,000 patients since 2011.

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