The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital will close its dental clinic after the departure of its only dentist, a hospital spokesman confirmed.

“We have made the difficult decision to close the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital dental practice effective November 20, 2020,” hospital spokesman Marissa Lefebvre wrote in an email statement. “Our dentist, Dr. Jasmine Gear, has decided to leave Martha’s Vineyard Hospital for family reasons. We were so lucky to have her and wish her all the best in her next endeavor.”

Hospital officials wrote that Dr. Gear’s departure prompted them to reconsider their dental clinic.

The hospital’s dental practice, which began approximately one decade ago, served 1,550 patients.

“Without a replacement dentist, we have decided to rethink how we provide dental care to the community,” the statement reads. “We are actively exploring opportunities, potentially in partnership with other community health organizations and dental practices.”