Since its inception, Smiles for Life has raised more than forty million dollars through its teeth whitening fundraiser. Every last penny of goes to the Smiles for Life Foundation, which aids children’s charities throughout the world. Have you ever wondered how it’s spent?
Some of it has supported field work in the Dominican Republic, where teams of volunteer dentists travel to work on the teeth of the people living there. Smiles for Life partnered with the humanitarian organization Esperanza on a trip in early 2018. But dental team volunteers say that simply focusing on the teeth they fix is missing the point.
“It’s not just a service,” one of them said. “It’s providing love, and a connection to the people.”
Nearly half of the people in the Dominican Republic lives on less than four dollars a day. Along with Esperanza, the goal of Smiles for Life volunteers is restoring hope and dignity.
“It’s about doing what you can with what you’ve got, and doing good,” a Smiles for Life volunteer said, during the 2018 visit. “So we’re extremely grateful to be here. And honestly, it’s been one of the best experiences of my life. And we’re excited to continue to contribute and to participate in these trips.”
“The most rewarding part about what we do here is the smiles on the faces of the people that look in the mirror when we finish their dental work,” said another. “It honestly is not about the teeth.”
The teeth whitening campaign takes place every year from March through June. Participating dental practices in the United States and Canada, all of them Crown Council members, donate their services to teeth whitening patients. Supplies for the campaign are donated by longtime Smiles for Life supporter Ultradent, the maker of Opalescence teeth whitening gels.
“It’s really not about how many teeth you fix in a day,” one of the Dominican Republic volunteers reflected. “It’s about the people that you put your arm around, and let them know that we’re all God’s children. And the reason why we’re here is because we have something that we can share.”
Crown Council is an association of dental professionals who are committed to promoting oral health, fighting oral cancer, and to serving their communities and children’s charities through Smiles for Life.
