PLYMOUTH, N.H.— Speare Memorial Hospital raised over $45,000 at its 15^th Annual Golf Classic held at Owl’s Nest Resort & Golf Club, the proceeds from which benefit the Dental Health Program offering preventative dental services to infants through adults.

Dental Hygentist Ruth Doane thanked the events’ sponsors, donors and players for their support and shared how their contributions make a difference every day.  She explained,

“The funds raised help children like a teenage boy I worked with.  He was a quiet, shy person, who really didn’t engage much.  When I had the opportunity to do a dental screening on him, I saw he was in need of a great deal of care.  After connecting him with an area dentist and brightening his smile, his teachers reported he was a different young man:  laughing, engaging, and among the first to participate in class.”

This is just one example of how the program has improved access to dental care—the number one most pressing health issue identified by residents of the central New Hampshire communities.  Speare’s Dental Health Program began in 1998 to specifically target this community need.  Working in collaboration with School Administrative Unit 48, the Ashland, Lin-wood and Warren School Districts, Plymouth Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine and Plymouth OB/GYN, the Dental Health Program’s services include: free dental screenings and fluoride varnish applications; dental cleanings and sealants to school-aged children on a sliding fee scale, to “at risk” pregnant women and the homeless; restorative care for children who are in pain from decay and infection; and case management and financial assistance are available to those in need.

The annual Golf Classic is the major fundraiser supporting the Dental Health Progam.  Major Gold Sponsors included Brown Brothers Harriman, Dunkin Donuts, Harvey Construction Corporation, Meredith Village Savings Bank and the NH Dental Society Foundation.  Proctor & Gamble was a Silver Sponsor; Marcam Associates a Picture Sponsor; and Cart Sponsors were Fred Fuller Oil & Propane, Health Plans, Inc., Northeast Delta Dental and Stanley Elevator.

For more information about the Speare Memorial Hospital School Dental Program contact Julie DeGalan at (603) 238-2211.  Speare Memorial Hospital—nationally ranked a HealthStrong™ Top 100 Critical Access Hospital—is a 24-hour, acute care, non-profit community hospital and health care provider serving Plymouth and the communities of central New Hampshire for more than a century.  Visit online at www.speare2020.wpengine.com or join us on Facebook.