b'12 CONCORD HOSPITAL TRUSTEmbracing a new smileEckland, 62, who was homeless whenbecause Ive had bad teeth for the last she fi rst sought treatment in 2019, is10 years and [Dr. Minukhin] was able to among the 40 or so patients who seekfi x 90 percent of it. I thank her from the care at the Clinic each week, a majoritybottom of my heart for giving me my of whom receive either full or partialconfi dence back.fi nancial assistance. Aff ordability in Concord and at Concord HospitalIn addition to the benefi ts of having Dental Center - Laconia received a boosta good smile, Minukhin shares that this past year from the Communityeliminating the bacteria that causes Service Fund, which supports the mostperiodontal disease in patients like pressing public health needs. TheAdkins can greatly improve their overall Dr. Jay Maillet remembers the look onimpact on patients is signifi cant. health. The doctor and her oce staffDeborah Ecklands face the fi rst timeare compassionate providers who off er the patient at Concord Hospital FamilyI never stopped smiling when my teeththoughtful care to their patients.Health Center Dental Clinic looked inwere bad, but when they fi xed them, my whole world changed immediately,Were very kind to the people we see, the mirror following treatment.and were passionate about what were says Eckland, who had 13 teeth pulled She said, Thisis healthcare, not healthbefore receiving a full set of dentures.doing, Minukhin says. Were always I-dont-care, recalls Maillet, who is nowI got a job in public, started goingtrying to do whats the best for them.the dental director for the northeast atto church, and posting my happy- Both Adkins and Eckland are also DentaQuest, where he administers thedance videos online. Those are thingsgrateful for the fi nancial support they New Hampshire Adult Smiles MedicaidI never could have done without thereceived through the Community program with the Department ofconfi dence of my new smile. Service Fund to help pay for their Health and Human Services. Wetreatment. Neither would have been need programs for underinsured andBelmont resident James Adkins, 31, was referred to Dr. Olga Minukhin atable to aff ord the transformative care vulnerable populations to providethey received without it.access to low-cost dental care. Not onlythe Concord Hospital Dental Center are we giving back their ability to eat- Laconia in 2021 with severe decay.I tell others who need dental care and talk, were also giving the ability toWhen he fi rst sought treatment, Adkinsto go to [the Family Health Center smile, improve self-esteem, and makesays, my teeth were completely fallingDental Clinic ] and let them care for them feel cared for. apart. Minukhin put molds around theyou and change your life, too, Eckland broken ones and fi lled them in tosays. My life is diff erent because of make them whole. the investment they made in me, my She made it possible for me to smilehealth, and my again, Adkins says. It makes me feelwell-being.^photo aboveDeborah Eckland embracesbetter about myself, which is huge Beth Hamel, Dental Clinic Coordinator, following her treatment.'