World Oral Health Day 2026
Today is World Oral Health Day, and this year’s theme is “A Happy Mouth is a Happy Life”!
Oral healthcare remains a top healthcare priority for Upper Valley residents. In 2025, 39% of respondents to Dartmouth Health’s Community Health Needs Assessment reported difficulty accessing dental care for adults.
Red Logan Dental Clinic is just one of the few resources in our area that works to bridge the service gap that exists right here in our community. Starting from humble beginnings in the 1990s, when a group of volunteer dentists started providing free care outside of their normal practice hours, to hiring our first full-time staff dentist in 2021, we continue to provide care to those most in need. Our clinic also relies on the work of dedicated dental volunteers and student extern providers, who provided 1,088 hours of service in 2025.
“Staff is professional, proficient, friendly, and caring. Thank you for all that you do!” -Anonymous Dental Clinic Patient
A happy mouth and a happy life may mean different things to different people. At Red Logan Dental Clinic, our skilled clinicians emphasize having a happy mouth by achieving stable oral health. Stable oral health means getting rid of the tooth decay or infections that cause cavities and pain through the fillings, cleanings, and extractions we provide at the clinic. As a result of stable oral health, patients are able to speak, eat, and smile without pain or discomfort, leading to a happy life!
It takes a village to run a dental clinic. In addition to our staff and volunteers, we rely on many members of our community. Great North Dental Lab generously donates 2 crowns each month so that we can provide beautiful zirconia caps to patients whose teeth need more protection than fillings can offer. Upper Valley Endodontics graciously sees two patients a month from Red Logan Dental Clinic who are in need of their expert endodontic care. In 2025, we were able to purchase 3 new wall-mounted x-ray tubes that allow us to obtain the proper images needed for diagnosing patients. Dentists from around the community have even donated to provide a stipend for our externs, who incur high housing and travel expenses during their time on rotation here.
All of these improvements were made possible thanks to the support of our donors and integral partners like the New Hampshire Dental Society Foundation, Northeast Delta Dental Foundation, and the Vermont Community Foundation.
But there is always room for us to continue improving our services to better meet the care needs of our patients.
If you’re a dentist, dental assistant, or dental hygienist eligible for licensure in the state of Vermont who is interested in volunteering time to care for our neighbors’ dental health needs, please reach out to us! More volunteers ensure more individuals in the Upper Valley have access to dental care. If you’d prefer to support us through a direct contribution to our dental clinic program, please visit our giving page!
