Waldo County health system aims to raise $1M to boost dental care

PROVIDED PHOTO A new dental care center is planned to be built within the existing Seaport Community Health Center in Belfast.

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By Tina Fischer

Penobscot Community Health Care launched a $1 million fundraising campaign to boost access to oral care in the Belfast region.

The Seaport Smiles campaign will support the creation of the Belfast Dental Center, targeted to open in April 2026.

Dental care providers are very limited in the area. The nonprofit cited a report that found Waldo County has just one dentist for every 5,741 residents. (Waldo County has a population of 40,617, according to the U.S. Census.)

“When we surveyed our patients and the community regarding their biggest health issues and the biggest needs in the region, dental care ranked very high on the list,” said Lori Dwyer, president and CEO of the nonprofit Penobscot Community Health Care.

Plans call for the dental center to be located within Belfast’s primary care practice in the Seaport Community Health Center on Schoodic Drive.

Care will not be conditional on a patient’s ability to pay.

“The clinic will bring much-needed access to oral healthcare to this region, reducing costly reliance on hospital emergency department visits to treat dental pain,” Dwyer said. “It will also allow us to focus on prevention and the provision of dental home services in Waldo County.”

The Belfast Dental Center will operate an eight-chair dental practice and is projected to provide more than 7,200 patient encounters annually. In addition to routine care, the center will offer acute and walk-in dental services.

Funding plans

The targeted $1 million will be used to renovate the second floor of the Seaport Community Health Center. PCHC will be hiring a dentist, hygienist, clinical operations supervisor, two dental assistants, an office assistant and two employees for a call center.

“The addition of dental services to Waldo County is a win for the community and the healthcare system, increasing jobs, supporting economic development, and reducing the cost of care in Maine,” said Dwyer.

“This fulfills a longstanding goal of the organization to improve access to oral healthcare services in Waldo County.”

Penobscot Community Health Care, founded in 1997, operates 20 practices and care sites in Bangor, Brewer, Old Town, Belfast and Jackman.

Services under the PCHC umbrella include family medicine, dental, pediatrics, healthcare for seniors, mental health and substance use disorder treatment, specialty services, pharmacy and healthcare for the homeless.