Richard is a veteran who lives in Callahan. He was a Barnabas Center dental clinic patient who was receiving care before the COVID pandemic began. But driving became difficult for him due to his health issues and he had to discontinue regular checkups. “I became concerned about a problem with my tooth and was relieved when Barnabas’ Hilliard dental office opened so it was easier for me to drive there,” Richard said. “This new office in the west part of the county helped me to get the care I needed to fix
the tooth. I will be able to go back to getting regular checkups to prevent worse dental problems in the future.”

Richard said when he met Dr. Cotton and the staff at the clinic in Hilliard, he was relieved because they explained everything and assured him, making him feel valued and completely relaxed.
“My tooth was fixed with a crown and now there is a plan to make a partial, preventing the need for a full set of dentures that I know I could not pay for,” he said. “Without a place like Barnabas, those of us in need wouldn’t have access to a dentist. And, nobody looked at me like I was a person in need. They were all very professional. I really appreciated that.”

After the dental procedure, Richard’s ability to eat a wider variety of foods was greatly improved,
adding to his quality of life. “I’m appreciative of having access to dental services that will help me take better care of my teeth,” Richard said. “Without donors, Barnabas wouldn’t be able to help people like me in need. Knowing their donation stays right here in the community is important. I sure am grateful.”

Barnabas Center was recently awarded a Delta Dental Community Care Foundation grant and the Florida Dental Association 2022 Project: Dentists Care grant to support our dental program. The grant will support Barnabas with the purchase of much-needed dental supplies for the Clinic. We are grateful!

The Barnabas dental program provides affordable dental services for low to moderate income adults who have no health insurance and includes exams, extractions, cleanings and more. We are grateful for our community who supports our dental program and the partners who invest in our community, we are smiling too!

To learn more about donating to our dental program contact Nicola Barnack, to learn how, email nbarnack@barnabasnassau.org or call 904.261.7000 x 107.