A good friend described a program to me which is sponsored by the YMCA. The program is Alliance Training Program which trains women who have been on welfare with skills to that they can reenter the workforce. The training programs are of several months duration. When a woman successfully completes the training, she is given a suit to interview in from “The Bottomless Closet”, a charity to which women donate business clothes.
When the participant gets a job, she is given several more outfits of clothes appropriate for her new job.

The problem that was brought to my attention was that many of these women have had minimal or no dental care in their lives. They are missing and/or have broken front teeth. Many have been victims of domestic abuse. They are self conscious about their appearance and are hesitant to smile or make eye contact. This makes it more difficult for them to interview and get a job.

I decided that I would be willing to donate services which include removable prosthetics (dentures and partials) to replace teeth for some of these women, and “Smiles for Success” was perfect for their needs. I examined 12 candidates which were sent to me by the
Y Alliance as women who needed dental care. All of them needed care, however 4 candidates were in great need, exhibiting teeth which were broken, decayed and diseased. Two of the women were so emotional that someone actually would consider treating them that they sobbed uncontrollably before I could even complete the examination. The youngest was only 21 years old.

Here are 2 of my success stories:

Roslyn

Rosyln was a trim and well groomed 44 year old woman who had 8 remaining teeth with advanced periodontal disease. She was working at a card shop but said the manger would only let her do restocking as he was ashamed of her appearance. The teeth were extracted, and complete dentures were fabricated. Rosyln cried with joy when I delivered them. She was ecstatic with the improvement in her appearance. Shortly afterward, she was promoted at her job and is now training for a managerial position.

J. Crystal Baxter DMD, MDS