As part of a deep commitment to patients at Link Dental, Dr. Jean Link continually builds her skill set by learning innovative dental techniques, including complex and trauma-focused dentistry procedures. Because of this advanced training, Jean found herself uniquely equipped to handle a special request that came in 2012.
“I got a phone call from a patient of mine who was recovering from surgery at Craig Hospital,” she shares. “He sort of volunteered my services to one of the physicians he had overheard talking about a patient in need. He told them he was positive his dentist would know how to do what they needed and would be happy to do it. That’s how Linked to Craig got started.”
Linked to Craig is a nonprofit organization that helps patients identified by Craig Hospital with specific needs to overcome financial and physical barriers to dental care. Through the program, Jean works with patients to address dental disease that is interfering with definitive care, resolve dental issues keeping patients from continuing with rehab and recovery, and provide cosmetic dental care to help patients reenter society.
“For patients who have traumatic spinal cord or brain injury, they need to be able to form words or, depending on the severity of the injury, ambulate their wheelchair through a straw by using their mouth as a tool,” she explains. “If they are missing teeth, that can be difficult. Being able to help somebody who has had that level of injury is incredibly humbling and meaningful.”
Link Dental’s commitment to the patients, in-house lab, specialized equipment to care for patients with adaptive needs, and technology to safely sedate patients make the practice a perfect fit. “Dr. Thomas Reed, as the leader of our practice, has a heart to serve this patient population and is committed to continuing and growing this program,” she says. “He has become credentialed at Craig and helps out with hospital assessments to see who needs our care.”
Although Jean donates her time to serve Linked to Craig patients, the practice relies on the community to come alongside and help financially provide for the materials and medications for the procedures. For information on how to support the mission of Linked to Craig, visit LinkedtoCraig.org.