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OUR PATIENTS

Evelyn’s healthy smile

A visit to Grady Hospital in November 2016 ended with Evelyn Ware’s teeth being pulled.
They were rotting at the root and impacting her overall health. Scientific and medical
communities have linked the bacteria that results from decaying teeth and gums to respiratory
infections, heart disease, dementia and diabetic complications.

Evelyn had avoided having her teeth pulled with her grandson’s wedding right around the
corner. Unfortunately, her face was still swollen for the wedding. The 76-year-old Atlanta
resident didn’t have the money for dentures and was relieved when Resource Specialist Gerard
Reid told her Mercy Care could help thanks to a $13,000 grant from Piedmont Healthcare for
people 65 and older who need but cannot afford dentures.

“Being able to chew your food is an important first step in the digestive system,” said Mercy
Care’s lead dentist Rochelle Butler, DDS. “Chewing begins the process of breaking down the
food so the body can absorb the nutrients. Those who have no teeth miss out on healthy foods
like nuts and lean meat altogether.”

Evelyn is now enjoying foods she had long been unable to eat, and her reflux has gone away
thanks to the ability to chew her food.

Then, of course, there is the beauty of a smile. “Everyone at church kept asking, ‘what is
different about you.’ I’d smile, and they would say ‘oh, your teeth!’ My family says I look
great.”

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