BRADENTON, Fla. — It’s an effort to continue giving people in need the smile they deserve.

Turning Points in Bradenton received thousands of dollars from an organization to buy medical equipment and devices to operate on more patients.

What You Need To Know

  • This donation helped pay for new renovations and buy equipment to help provide services to more patients
  • Donations paid for dental chair renovations to four dental rooms, floor repairs and dental equipment such as a high-powered compressor 

  • Turning Points is booked three months out for new patients. Those who can qualify must be 18 to 64 years old

Eugene Fortin has dreamed about this moment for years.

“I want to be able to have a bright smile,” he said.

Fortin hasn’t had a full set of teeth in more than 20 years, and this is the last operation he needs before getting his dentures. He works for a restaurant and talks to a lot of customers. Fortin says his smile is the one thing holding him back in life.

“I want to be able to greet people accordingly and sincerely,” he said.

The process of getting dentures can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

The special part about all of this is Fortin didn’t have to pay for a thing. All he had to do before his turn in the room was to wait in the lobby.

“The dental office would cost me a very, very large amount of money for this operation,” he said.

Turning Points in Bradenton has been helping hundreds of dental patients like Fortin every year. It’s for people who don’t have insurance and qualify for these services.

The high demand for appointments is why The Sertoma Club of Bradenton donated $60,000 to the free dental clinic. Club chairman George Najmy is seeing the completed renovations for the first time.

“Well, we felt like the service they provide in the community is so vital and the number of people that they serve as well as the need of great dental work is very important to individuals,” he said.

That money paid for new dental chair renovations to four dental rooms, floor repairs and dental equipment such as a high-powered compressor so the staff can operate on more patients at the same time. Fortin is now one step closer to getting his new set of teeth.

This newly-renovated clinic serves a bigger purpose — to give people like Fortin a chance for a brighter smile and a brighter future.

Turning Points is booked three months out for new patients. Those who can qualify must be 18 to 64 years old.