06/04/2021
The Wentworth-Douglass Foundation has been awarded a $21,000 grant from the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation to support the Wentworth-Douglass Community Dental Center. The Community Dental Center provides general dental care to vulnerable adults and children in the greater Dover area (including the New Hampshire Seacoast area and Southern Maine) whose families’ incomes are at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. Wentworth-Douglass Hospital is dedicated to providing this community benefit and relies heavily on philanthropic support to sustain the Community Dental Center’s operations.
The $21,000 grant will directly impact the Community Dental Center’s ability to keep pace with the rising demand for services. Specifically, this grant will assist with the Community Dental Center’s expenses related to PPE, infection control, dental instruments, supplies, Xray & digital imaging, and more. These funds will also enable the Center to equip the Community Dental Center with a sorely needed new dental chair.
“We are incredibly grateful for the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation’s support of our hospital’s Community Dental Center,” says President & CEO of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, Jeffrey Hughes, MPH, FACHE.
“The Community Dental Center is one of the only community dental centers in the region that remains exclusively dedicated to serving individuals and families in need. This grant, which helps underwrite the operating costs of this Center, will allow us to continue to provide this vital service to those in need of dental care in our community.”
The Wentworth-Douglass Community Dental Center’s services include cleanings and exams, X-rays, advanced cleanings, fillings, night guards, crowns, emergency visits, full and partial dentures, and extractions. In addition, its Dental Outreach Program educates the most vulnerable people in the community at greatest risk of dental disease. The Community Dental Center’s certified public health dental hygienist works with schools, housing authorities, health advocates, children's museums, women's centers, and senior centers to share proper interventions for preventing tooth decay and sustaining a healthy lifestyle.
The Community Dental Center anticipates a rise in patient visits this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacting local residents’ livelihoods and insurance status, leading to great numbers of people in need. Additionally, referrals to the Community Dental Center are increasing from a variety of sources, including Wentworth-Douglass Hospital’s Seacoast Cancer Center (for patients whose oral health has been significantly compromised as a side effect of treatment), primary care practices, and community-based organizations such as shelters and sober living homes.