The four children, accompanied by their parents and a few volunteers, arrived at the clinic at about 1:30. By then, the team of dentists, dental assistants and volunteers were all ready to welcome them in the reception room of the clinic. For most children, dental visits may be a horrifying event, but it was different for them this time as they were met with big smiles and a well rehearsed welcome song by all the volunteers.

It was heartwarming to see dentists going beyond their professional duties and stepping out from the examination rooms to bring joy to the children. Not only did they tackle the dental problems of the young patients, they also amused them and removed their fears. They thus practised the words of Master Cheng Yen, who advised people to give a sense of fearlessness to those who needed it.

Though big in size, Huang Zhi Bing was a very shy boy. Upon seeing the clinic crowded with volunteers, he refused to go in. The volunteers tried different methods to persuade him to go in, but to no avail as he sat down in the corridor outside the clinic. Dr. Elizabeth Tan squatted down with him, looked him in the eye, and said in a gentle but assertive tone, "Zhi Bing, look at me.... Do you want to learn how to properly brush your teeth? Then come with me." Under such an enticing persuasion, plus the encouragement of his friend Gao Song from MINDS, he finally agreed to go in.

However, that was not the end of the commotion. The boy was so afraid of having his teeth checked that he kept struggling in the dental chair. The dentists tried to comfort him by holding his hands and giving him a toy. Dr. Xu Zhen Xing even sang songs to calm him down so that he could take a look at his teeth.

While the dentist and dental assistants were busy at work, volunteers accompanied the children and their parents who were waiting outside the ward. A few members of the Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth Association were there to do colouring with them. One of the children, Sheng Chun, who was done with the dental appointment, even made jokes with the volunteers. Some Tzu Chi volunteers chatted with the children's parents, relieving some of their tension because they were worried about their children creating a commotion inside the dental clinic. Dr. Eugene Tang came out to distribute sweets. The room was filled with laughter, and we could sense a rich display of human warmth and love. No matter whether they were doctors or college students, the volunteers wore big smiles on their faces as they tried to bring relaxation and joy to the children by behaving as their peers.

On the dental chair, Gao Song was having a hard time. He was the eldest of four children, and his hair was as cleanly shaved as if he plucked it strand by strand when it grew too long. Gao Song had a decayed tooth and needed to have an anaesthesia injection before having it pulled out. He was so frantic about it that he gave the excuse that he needed to go to the toilet after the injection.

Things did not get better after he came back. He kept moving around, refusing to let the dentists pull his tooth even though the volunteers kept comforting him. He ran out of the room and sat there frowning, unhappy that he needed to go through such a painful process. Jia Kang, a volunteer from MINDS, managed to persuade him to go back to the room. "Sometimes it is really hard to get them to do what they must," he said, "but we always try our best to understand what their fears are and what they want, and that works sometimes." Even though the disabled children may not be able to understand the situation most of the time, it is the volunteers' duty to empathise and communicate with them.

The commotion continued as Gao Song ran out of the examination room for the third time. Normally, one would think that the dentists would have given up, as it was too much trouble to treat such a naughty patient who so strongly refused to be treated. However, the dentists never gave up on him. They too went out of the room to talk to Gao Song, holding the dental instruments in their hands.

Dr. Xu felt that he just had to face the problem with Gao Song and let him know clearly what they needed to do since it was a rare chance for the MINDS children to see the dentists. Dr. Xu was determined to help Gao Song get rid of the decayed tooth despite all the difficulties. By this time, the anaesthesia had worn off and he needed to have another shot. Dr. Xu made up a story and told him that they needed to give him an injection so that his teeth would fall asleep quietly so that the worm in his tooth could be driven away without any pain. After much struggle, the perseverance and patience of the dentists and volunteers paid off as they managed to extract the decayed tooth. Everyone cheered when Gao Song felt relieved from all the anxiety and fear.

Meanwhile, Zhi Bing, who was the most shy initially, walked around the clinic happily on his own, and he even requested to have his teeth checked once again. He smiled widely as Dr. Tang gave him a big hug. It must have been the result of the medical volunteers' spirit of compassion that they could heal the patients' illnesses and their hearts as well.

Finally, the event ended at four, and the four children--Zhi Bing, Kao Song, Sheng Choon and Jun Wei--were all ready to go back home, proudly carrying their gifts from the dentists. Despite the commotion and fear of seeing the dentists, it must have been an enjoyable and memorable visit to the dentists at the Tzu Chi Free Clinic. Dr. Xu, who came together with his wife, Lee Tien Li, and his son, remarked that he felt very happy to be able to help the children. This was the second time he came to volunteer at Tzu Chi. He felt that the organisation had a strong positive influence on him, and he had waited for a chance to volunteer here again. Though the couple were not Buddhists, they respected Master Cheng Yen and felt that she was a force that drove them to come serve again. They even brought their child along, hoping he would receive the positive influence too. When some volunteers praised the couple for their contribution, Dr. Xu said: "We are all equally important in this event, whether a doctor or just a student. Each and every one of us plays our part and contributes to the success of the whole event." His humility and understanding of the team spirit that Master Cheng Yen emphasizes are really worth bearing in mind by all of us.