Maine dentists are helping survivors of domestic violence find their smiles
Monique Tash, in white sweater, with her newly restored smile courtesy of Dr. David Jacobson (right) and the Two Lights Dental team (back row). Patrisha McLean (left) is the CEO and founder of Finding Our Voices, which runs the Finding Our Smiles donated-dental program. (Courtesy of Patrisha McLean)
Monique Tash had been trying to save up for dental care for five years, but bills kept draining her savings.
Her teeth were in bad shape. Most of them were missing, and the remaining ones were cracked and broken.
Her smile was the casualty of her abusive, nearly 10-year relationship.
“If I wanted to take a shower, I was accused of cheating,” she said. Tash stopped brushing her teeth. “I didn’t have any self-esteem left.”
Two years ago, she heard about Finding Our Smiles, a program that connects survivors of domestic abuse with free dental care and procedures. She reached out to Patrisha McLean, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Finding Our Voices, the statewide nonprofit behind the dental program. McLean responded within 30 minutes.
Tash had a consultation with Dr. David Jacobson at Two Light Dentists a few weeks later, and after inspection and X-rays, he determined that a full mouth extraction was necessary. “They weren’t saveable,” he said.
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Now, she has a set of top and bottom dentures. A new smile – free of charge.
Tash is one of nearly 50 survivors of domestic violence in Maine who have benefited from pro bono dental work.
Over the last two years, 37 dentists across the state have donated $325,000 worth of services. Some dentists have fixed teeth that were chipped when abusive partners tried to kill their spouses. Others deep-cleaned smiles that were neglected during years of victims being manipulated into thinking they weren’t worthy of care.
Dr. David Jacobson of Two Lights Dental has provided pro bono work to support a survivors of domestic violence. He was photographed at his Cape Elizabeth office on Jan. 13. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer)
Jacobson, based in Cape Elizabeth, tapped into the Finding Our Smiles network about a year ago after he saw a local oral surgeon post about it. He said that the network of dentists in southern Maine, particularly in greater Portland, has been helpful in triaging and resource sharing to help these patients.
Tash has been his only patient through Finding Our Smiles so far, and he was able to replace her teeth without charging her. His team’s kindness helped Tash get over her fear of going to the dentist, she said.
“Every time I was in, everyone knew me by name,” Tash said. “You feel like you’re Norm from ‘Cheers’. They don’t judge me. They didn’t look at me like I was a problem.”
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MEETING A NEED
McLean had the idea for the program after meeting a woman several years ago whose teeth were rotting because her abusive husband, whom she met with she was 15, never let her brush her teeth. The woman was too embarrassed to go out in public.
“She was covering her mouth when she was talking,” McLean recalled.
McLean texted Dr. David Pier, a dentist in the Midcoast, asking if he would help give her back her smile. He said yes within minutes.
After the procedure, “she was out in public again, smiling,” McLean said. “It just completely transformed her life.”
McLean, who was in a 29-year abusive marriage to her ex-husband Don McLean, has dedicated her career to helping others find their voices and strength while trying to leave dangerous situations. And she encourages survivors to share their stories on her podcast “Let’s Talk About It.”
McLean realized that other survivors would benefit from this kind of service.
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The network has expanded into nine counties through referrals and talks at dental societies. Jacobson said that since he started, more specialists have joined who are more equipped to handle the worst traumas.
Still, there are more survivors who need dental work than there are participating dentists, according to McLean.
There were 282 reports of domestic violence per 100,000 people in the state in 2023 according to the Maine Children’s Alliance. Domestic violence-related assaults made up 30% of all reported assaults in 2022, according to the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence.
Noël Richardson, who lives in Fryeburg, trained herself to do a tight-lipped smile. She had cavities in her two front teeth, and they were also discolored.
Her local dentists who accepted MaineCare insurance had long waitlists, so she approached Finding Our Voices.
Initially, it was hard to find a dentist in the nonprofit’s network who was closer than a three-hour drive away from Richardson, a single mother to a three-year-old son who is also working on her social work degree at Central Maine Community College. Between school and caregiving, it wasn’t realistic for Richardson to travel that far.
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McLean recruited Dr. Christopher Priest at Mountain View Dentistry in Bridgton to help. For the past few months, he’s gone through each of Richardson’s teeth individually and rebuilt them, partially restoring most of her top teeth. Within the next year, her smile will be completely restored.
“When your teeth are less than perfect, your whole identity is kind of off,” Richardson said.
The transformation has helped her confidence. She proudly takes her son to community events in public. And she smiles with her teeth.
HOW TO GET HELP
Those interested in donating or applying for the dental program should visit Finding Our Voices at findingourvoices.net/finding-our-smiles-1.
IF YOU or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, you can call the statewide Domestic Abuse Helpline at 1-866-834-4357 to talk to someone who can help. You can learn more online here.
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Tagged: domestic violence, finding our voices, Health
Dana Richie is a community reporter covering South Portland and Cape Elizabeth. Originally from Atlanta, she fell in love with the landscape and quirks of coastal New England while completing her undergraduate... More by Dana Richie
Source: Press Herald
Locations: Portland, South Portland
Region: Southern