Every year, from March through June, Smiles for Life raises money through teeth whitening specials with participating Crown Council dentists across the United States and Canada. The funds support children’s charities the world over.
Earlier in 2018, Smiles for Life partnered with Esperanza on a humanitarian expedition to the Dominican Republic, where nearly half of the population lives below the poverty line. Esperanza is a comprehensive approach to poverty alleviation. Together they provided as many Dominicans as possible with much-needed dental care, but their trip was about more than dentistry.
“Our goal in coming here is not to extract teeth, or to do fillings,” one of the dentists observed during the trip. “Our goal is to help make life better for the people who live here. Our motto is, ‘it’s not about the teeth, it’s about the people.'”
Another of the volunteer dentists agreed. “We fix the teeth,” he said. “But when you see the warm heart that comes back from being able to change their life by something that we all just very much take for granted – it’s the best part of what we do.”
Smiles for Life has raised more than forty million dollars since its inception some twenty years ago. Participating children’s charities include St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation, and many others.
Teeth whitening supplies for the fundraising campaign are donated by Ultradent, the maker of Opalescence teeth whitening gels.
“Smiles for Life has been a great experience for me,” one of the volunteers said, during her stay in the Dominican Republic. “To work with them hands-on, and ensure that Esperanza is continuing their promise to provide our associates with services like dental and mental coverage.”
Crown Council is an association of dental professionals who are committed to promoting oral health, fighting oral cancer, and to serving their communities through Smiles for Life, and other charitable work.
