2012 Wentworth-Douglass Community Dental Center Changes Lives
Tooth decay and dental pain can ruin a person’s health, stifle smiles and even end employment opportunities. Over the past seven years The Wentworth-Douglass Community Dental Center has helped thousands of the community’s most vulnerable members - low-income, uninsured adults and children - live healthier lives.
Since it opened in 2005, the Center has provided over $7 million in dental services including 38,000 patient visits, 12, 790 fillings, 812 dentures and 9,251 extractions. Prior to the opening of the Dental Center, one of the only options for people unable to pay for dental care was temporary relief from dental pain at the Hospital’s emergency room.
Wentworth-Douglass Hospital’s Executive Director of Quality Jay Afrow, DMD, MHA serves as a dentist at the Dental Center and sees the powerful impact the Dental Center has had on the lives of his patients.
"I'm very pleased to be part of the outstanding team of dental professionals at this very special Dental Center,” Dr. Afrow said. “We serve some of the neediest adults and children in our community. We help them end the pain from decay, look better, feel better, get jobs and smile. It's very rewarding and could not be done without the support of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital and many generous donors."
Individual and corporate donations to the Community Dental Center through the Wentworth-Douglass Hospital & Health Foundation continue to sustain this vital community program. Dental Center services are available at a nominal fee based on financial eligibility for residents of the Hospital’s service area and for patients in a Wentworth Health Partners medical practice. For more information, call 603-749-3013.
