Editor's Note. Each issue LIV VERO donates pages and designer resources to profile local nonprofits. In our Summer Issue, we were honored to present The Source serving our homeless. One of their programs is dedicated to bestowing gorgeous smiles on gorgeous individuals. We asked Joanne Balshi, who penned the original article, to tell us more about Dignity Smiles.
Say Cheese!
That is the bottom line after every smile is restored by one of a group of competent, caring dental specialists known as the Dignity Smiles Doctors.
The Source in Vero Beach, which has become home to many homeless and a sturdy bridge to a new productive life, added oral health care and tuning up of smiles to their already impressive pathways to wholeness. Even when bodies are nourished and skills are sharpened, total confidence is out of reach for members of The Source community who have missing or visibly decayed teeth or perhaps even no teeth at all. Failure to have a winning smile makes being hired rather challenging. Having one unlocks a lot of doors.
A smile is so much more than just a set of pearly whites. It is actually a phenomena that begins deep within the soul and then spreads to the face. It is made not only of clinical materials but also of whimsy, magic and spunk. The Dignity Smile Doctors are dedicated to restoring all of those things so that new smiles will bring back lost self-confidence. At times this work creates a whole new person, but the process always creates palpable rewards for both doctor and patient.
Currently, the Dignity Smiles team is made up of ten dental specialists who are willing to treat patients pro bono. The founder, Dr. Tom Balshi, a retired prosthodontist and dental implant pioneer, screens the prospective patients for their specific needs and does preliminary intake before assigning them to one of these doctors. Laboratory costs are supported by Nobel Biocare USA and CM Prosthetics Digital Laboratory, but the shortfall is met by caring members of the Vero Beach community who send contributions to The Source specifically earmarked for Dignity Smiles.
Looking in the mirror to see a bright new smile never fails to light an entire face. That is why the team always has their camera ready. No cost for the treatment…just Say Cheese!
Joanne Balshi
Donate to The Source
Instagram @iamthesourceministries
Website iamthesource.org
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