RUMFORD – A new dental clinic that’s expected to start serving patients early next year was launched Tuesday by a donation from a local industry, help from the area’s congressman, and several organizations.

The River Valley Community Dental Clinic is expected to employ 10 people, including two dentists, three or four dental hygienists, and several support staff once it gets up and running at the River Valley Technology Center. About 1,800-square-feet of space on the first floor will be used.

Lisa Kavanaugh, executive director of Community Dental Clinic of Portland, said 4,500 children and adults, many under the MaineCare program, will be served by the clinic. A sliding-scale fee will be applied for patients.

She said Community Dental Clinic chose Rumford because of the many people in the area who don’t have access to a dentist.

“We hope to keep people with dental pain out of hospital emergency rooms,” she said.

Bringing the clinic to the area has been a cooperative effort by the River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition, Rumford Hospital, Tri-County Mental Health Services and other organizations.

It will be the sixth Community Dental clinic in the state. Others are in Portland, Saco, Lewiston, Sanford and Farmington.

Eligible people from the River Valley usually drive to clinics in Lewiston or Farmington for dental care, said Karen Rickley, Community Dental’s director of planning and development.

At Tuesday’s ceremony, Brookfield Power’s general manager for southern New England, Mike Cutter, presented a donation of $25,000 to Kavanaugh toward the nearly $500,000 project.

“We were looking for a way besides the fireworks to help the community,” Cutter said. “We have an active involvement in our communities. The congressman called and made us aware of this.”

U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, D-Maine, was instrumental in connecting Brookfield, a company that bought Rumford’s upper falls power plant from NewPage Corp. a year ago, with Community Dental and the group seeking a dental clinic.

“This is definitely a good cooperative project involving a lot of entities,” said Michaud, who had helped Rumford Hospital land funding for its recent renovation project.

Kavanaugh said Brookfield’s donation will help leverage other funding. So far, that donation is the only dollar amount received, but a grant from Health Access is expected soon. Also, Kavanaugh said other grant applications are in the works and her office will be looking for support from businesses.

Rumford Hospital Chief Executive Officer John Welsh said access to dental care is important because dental problems can lead to other medical complications. The hospital is contributing the architectural cost for the renovation of the dental clinic space.

For the technology center, the clinic means 10 more jobs toward the goal of at least 40 to meet requirements for a community development block grant it received several years ago. River Valley Growth Council President Rich Allen said the organization’s mission is to create employment.