According the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, it is estimated that 1.5 million people experience intimate partner violence each year. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry’s Give Back a Smile program heals some of the most devastating effects of intimate partner violence by restoring the smiles of adult women and men who have suffered damage or lost their smiles at the hands of a former intimate partner or spouse.
The mission of this charitable arm of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry is to assist in rebuilding the lives and dignity of survivors of domestic violence through compassionate cosmetic dental services and support programs. The program provides restorative and cosmetic dentistry in the smile zone at no cost to the qualified survivors through a nationwide network of volunteer cosmetic dentists and a support team of dental laboratories and dental manufacturers.
Dr. Okamura and team are proud to be a part of this amazing program. The Give Back a Smile (GBAS) program began in 1999. Since that time, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) member dentists, dental laboratories and other dental professionals have volunteered their time and expertise pro bono to restore the damaged smiles of more than 1,100 survivors of intimate partner violence to the value of more than $10 million.
If you know of someone who could benefit from this program, I have provided a link: http://www.aacd.com/index.php?module=cms&page=616 . The GBAS patient application can be found on this page.
