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Xavier's* mother knows it is important for her three kids to take care of their teeth, but as a single mom she is struggling to meet their basic needs and had not brought them for dental care in several years. When 14 year-old Xavier began complaining about dental pain, she knew she had to do something.
She took him to Kindersmile Community Oral Health Center, a safety-net dental clinic located near them in Trenton, New Jersey. Upon examination they discovered the boy had 10 cavities on his permanent teeth–some so severe that if he did not receive treatment immediately he would likely lose the teeth. Xavier's mother couldn't afford to pay out of pocket and worried that extraction might be the only option. The team at Kindersmile convinced her to wait to extract the teeth until they could find other ways to support the treatment Xavier so desperately needed.
As members of the Dental Resource Program of America's ToothFairy, Kindersmile qualifies to request grants to help families like Xavier's who need help accessing restorative care that costs more than they can afford to pay. Thanks to a special promotion sponsored by Dr. Ronald Goldstein to support teens in need, and a generous donor who participated in the promotion, funding was available to help Xavier.
When Kindersmile's Director of Operations, Donele Vassell, received the news that they would receive a grant to help cover the cost of Xavier's care she told us, "Thank you so much for helping Xavier! He is a polite and thoughtful young man with so much potential! This grant will help him to be free from pain, and gain more confidence from his beautiful smile."
To learn more about the Tomorrow's Smiles initiative and a free gift for donating, please visit TomorrowsSmiles.org.
*Patient's name has been changed to protect his privacy. Not all grantees have provided photos. In some cases, stock photos are used to represent a patient’s gender, age and ethnicity if known.
