Blog

As we settle into year three at Bread for the City’s dental clinic, many positive things have revealed themselves.

We’ve seen over 1,500 unique individuals, many of whom had not received dental care in over 10 years, and in some cases, ever. As part of bringing clients back into the fold, we’ve had many great, in-depth, and personal conversations with our clients sometimes leading us to feel like a part of their extended families.

Because many of our patients have been coming to the dental clinic since we opened in 2010, we have become a regular part of their healthcare routines through the holistic care that we pride ourselves on offering.

It’s amazing to talk with our clients about what drove them away from dentistry, watch them attempt to re-integrate oral health into their lives, and then progress to the point of looking forward to their next dental appointment. Many of these conversations have gone beyond dentistry to reveal personal struggles, strengths, and successes.

I came to Bread to become a change agent, and with a desire to give back to the community that has educated me. I am still amazed at how the community continues to give me strength to continue. I’ve been fortunate to receive a pat on the back from elders that say, “You’re doing the right thing, keep going”; to the youngest of our clientele saying that they want to become a dentist themselves. Believing that my role here is about the service and not the individual, hearing from, conversing with, and possibly treating my eventual replacement is the greatest compliment to servicing others!

Having been here since the beginning, Tigist Goodwin, the staff dental assistant, says, “Working here feels like more than just a job. What you do here is gratifying because of the positive effects it has in people’s lives. You can’t help but to want more for yourself because you see the impact of your work.”

In a nutshell, we take great pride in working with the patients that we encounter on a daily basis and we get back from them, just as much as we give to them.