NFI North Compassionate Dentistry Fund

Compassionate Dentistry Fund

Compassionate Dentistry Fund

Northeastern Family Institute A Place to Belong

At NFI North, our vision is to create a world where mental health care and behavioral health services are accessible to everyone. We are dedicated to caring for the whole person, including their oral health.

Poor oral health can worsen mental health, which in turn can make it difficult to maintain oral health. Lower self-esteem, anxiety, depression, physical pain and eating disorders are just a few results of this mind-body connection.

NFI North’s Compassionate Dentistry Fund is a result of our commitment to listening and responding to challenges as if they were our own providing care and services with empathy and compassion at the forefront.

Administration & Goals

Funding history

The Compassionate Dentistry Fund was founded in 2022 with an initial $30,000 funding from Delta Dental Foundation, NH Charitable Fund, and NFI’s Mission Fund. Since 2022, we have raised (and spent) $140,000.

Funding guides

Partnership with Saving People’s Smile

Whenever possible, we partner with the non-profit clinic Saving People’s Smiles (SPS). The clinic prioritizes our participants, reduces prices and has experience serving individuals who require specialized care. Most importantly, SPS does not prescribe opioids to patients.

Spending Goals

The Administrative Team has defined that the Compassionate Dentistry Fund's spending will be split into 30% for preventative care and 70% for restorative care.

Fund Administration

Fund administrators negotiate pricing, monitor the application of available insurance coverage and discounts, and ensure services are provided.

Participant eligability

When selecting participants, two factors are given the highest priority: the participant's ability to endure treatment and the potential benefit to their quality of life.

2024 Compassionate Dentistry Fund

Changing Real Lives

Meet Carrie

Carrie and her family are participants of NFI North Early Childhood Wrap Around Services and a recipient of the 2023 Empowerment Award for her extraordinary efforts and accomplishments. Carrie expressed her gratitude that she was able to stand before a judge as part of her effort to regain custody of her young children. She explained “People judge you, you know. And I didn’t have to talk with that judge with what looks like meth-mouth. I could just be me and not worry about that kinda judgement.”

Meet Tom

Tom is a resident at one of NFI North’s Transitional Housing Services. As a diabetic without back teeth and painful front teeth, nutrition was a struggle. Tom is thrilled to smile and eat without pain or shame. Tom’s mother attended his appointments with him and with tears in her eyes, was quoted to say, “As a single mom I couldn’t bring my kids to the dentist. I’m just so happy for him that he wont have to live his whole life hiding and being embarassed.”

Meet Hunter

Hunter, a twelve-year-old boy, is cared for by his disabled grandmother. Despite numerous attempts by both his grandmother and his NFI Care Coordinator, they struggled to secure funding for braces. Thanks to the Compassionate Dentistry Fund, Hunter's braces and future orthodontics are paid in full.

2024 Compassionate Dentistry Fund

Our Impact & Future

Compassionate Dentistry Reflects Our Values

Through the Compassionate Dentistry Fund, we have served 27 participants in life-transforming ways. 13 had complete dentures, one was found to have a cancerous lesion leading to early intervention, a 12-year-old received full orthodontic treatment, 4 received sedated dentistry due to severe anxiety, and six are in the process of receiving treatment today.

We have a long list of participants needing care, including Kendrick, a 20year-old living at Oliver Place

Participants can have difficulties taking care of their dental issues if they suffer psychologically. Conversely, patients in pain from oral health problems have issues managing their mental health. Addressing oral matters can have a critical effect on a person’s mental health — and vice-versa.

Through the Compassionate Dental Fund, we contribute to our participants' success and hope for a bright future.