WENDELL - When volunteers started arriving to set up for the N.C. Baptist Men's mobile dental clinic at Clyde's Chapel Baptist Church on Saturday at 5 a.m., there was already a line formed outside the door.

The crowds stayed heavy throughout the day and volunteers finally started taking names and contact information from patients they weren't going to have time to see.

Pastor Josh Grizzle said his congregration expected a large turnout for the free dental service Saturday, but even so, the numbers surprised organizers.

"This was larger than we expected. It really speaks to the need in this economic downturn," Grizzle said.

At noon, the fellowship hall, turned into a waiting room for the day, was still jammed with people waiting their turn to see a dentist or a hygienist.

About 40 church and community members turned out to volunteer for the day. Some of the volunteers registered patients, while others kept a supply of hot dogs and other foods at the ready. Still others worked with the health care professionals who were cleaning teeth, filling cavities and, in some cases, pulling teeth. The clinic included two dentists stations on board the RV and a hygienist's station set up inside the church. Grizzle said volunteers hoped to serve between 50 and 60 patients on Saturday.

A signifcant number of patients were Hispanic. Among the volunteers were translators who helped those patients navigate the registration process and worked with them as they met with the dentists.

The mobile dental unit is a program of the N.C. Baptist Men. The large RV travels to locations throughout the state. Dental professionals in the local area volunteer their services to provide care for people who need the service.

Grizzle said it has been several years since his church invited the group to Clyde's Chapel. The idea to bring the organization to the church came from a group of congregation members who were looking for a way to reach out to the community.

Miguel Reyes, who pastors an Hispanic ministry affiliated with Hocutt Baptist Church in Clayton, said the dental clinic also gives church members a chance to minister to the people.

"This gives us a good way to make direct contact with people who don't have a home church," Reyes said.