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Dr. Trang NguyenAn eight-year old girl in Vietnam had a toothache that was causing her an intense amount of pain. Her mother gave her money to go find a doctor to fix her tooth. The little girl found a dentist, and after the visit, the pain was gone. A seed had been planted.

Dr. Trang Nguyen who has recently been named Director of Dental Services at Dorchester House Multi-Service Center (DHMSC) was that little girl. She has wanted to be a dentist ever since that first fortuitous visit.

Nguyen has had a lengthy journey from when she was eight years old and where she is today, though. She emigrated to Dorchester from Vietnam in 1991 with her mother, father, and two siblings.

Even though she was 18, because of her difficulties with English, Nguyen had to repeat two years at Cathedral High School. It was during this time that she met Dr. Mark Doherty, who would prove to be a career-long mentor to her.

First his patient, then his apprentice, she would go to Dorchester House twice a week after school to observe Doherty at work. This gave Nguyen an opportunity to learn dentistry and English. Dr. Mark Doherty has mentored me from day one when I met him. We didnt understand each other at all and somehow he helped me to communicate and to learn dentistry, said Nguyen.

Even while attending Regis College and pursuing a degree in biochemistry, Nguyen would return to Dorchester House whenever she had time off to work.

She graduated from Tufts University School of Dentistry and received a fellowship from Lutheran Medical Center for an Advanced Education General Dentistry (AEGD) residency at Dorchester House. After she finished her fellowship, she became a full-time provider at the center in 2002.

Nguyen left briefly to work in a private practice, but said it wasnt a good fit for he. She couldnt stay away from Dorchester House for long.

In her current role, Nguyen is able to pursue her passion, which is passing on the knowledge she was fortunate enough to acquire as both a patient and employee of Dorchester House: the importance of preventative dental care.

Where I came from, dental health wasnt part of medical health. Treating this population has had a great impact on me and I try to get my message across one person at a time, said Nguyen.

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