With a humble beginning, Dr. Gagni devoted himself to the practice. He remembers, “every patient was so valuable to me. I forwarded our office phone to my home phone to make sure I was always available when I was needed.” As the practice grew, Dr. Gagni hired additional hygienists and staff and expanded the facility to provide the best individualized care to his patients.

In 2003, Dr. Gagni experienced a heart attack. At only age 39, doctors discovered the chemo and radiation he underwent in his teens took a toll on his blood vessels. Dr. Gagni remained optimistic as stents were placed to remove the blockage and keep his heart healthy. Doctors gave him a clean bill of health and Dr. Gagni returned to work thinking he was out of the woods. 13 years later, Dr. Gagni’s world was yet again turned upside down. In August of 2016, Dr. Gagni began experiencing heart issues and was informed that he would need open heart surgery. To make matters worse, pre-surgical screening found colon cancer. He underwent open-heart surgery in August and returned to work in September. He saw patients that fall before undergoing surgery to remove the cancer. What the doctors originally thoughtwas going to be a straight-forward procedure turned into a much bigger ordeal as complications arose. He was planning to be back at the office a week after surgery, but wasn’t released from the hospital until a month later. In less than three years, Dr. Gagni underwent five surgeries. How does a dental practice survive when the primary dentist is out for months at a time? Dr. Gagni explains, “my colleagues and friends filled in for me, our team went above and beyond, and the support of our patients and community kept us going. We couldn’t have done it without them.”