Blog; Smiles For Life

So when teeth whitening débuted around 1990, we tried it out on friends, relatives, and team members.  Shucks, most of the famiglia in question had already survived my early clinical efforts in dental school so I knew they could probably deal with a little dose of hydrogen peroxide (especially for a whiter smile.)

And yeah, at first, I thought teeth whitening was pretty superficial, shallow stuff.  But it wasn’t long before I changed my mind. Teeth whitening was a slam-dunk; it worked and it was safe.

I had no idea where whiter, brighter smiles would lead.  As it turned out, folks who’d stayed away from the dentist the way I stay away from Brussels sprouts, spiders, and Michael Bolton, began to trickle in, open wide, and get healthier.

So because of teeth whitening, oral cancers were detected, gum disease was diagnosed, and hypertension was measured; folks were reconnected with their oral health; some lives were even saved.  But I had no idea how many future lives would be touched.

This week marks the fifteenth year of Smiles for Life (SFL.)  Back in 1998, Doc Jeff Gray (one of my DDS buddies from down in San Diego,) came up with the idea of dentists providing teeth whitening to patients at reduced fees with all the proceeds going to charity.  Like me, Jeff is a member of Crown Council, a national organization of progressive dental practices also committed to giving back to the community. 

With the backing of Crown Council and the support of Extreme Makeover Doc Bill Dorfman and his then-company Discus Dental, Smiles for Life was born.  And in the last 14 years Crown Council practices have raised over $30 million, with all proceeds going to help children in the areas of health, education, and the inner city.  Today, half of the funds raised are distributed through the Crown Council to charitable organizations like St. Jude Children’s Hospital, CURE (in Cambodia), Smiles for Hope, and the Kids Cancer Care Foundation. And half of the proceeds go to the local non-profit of the participating practice’s choice.

In past years we’ve worked with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Haven House of Pasadena, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Cure Autism Now, and Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, and A Better LA.

This year, we’ll be looking to create some whiter, brighter, flashier smiles while we raise funds for our own local/national/global treasure, the City of Hope.

In 2012, our practice family was robbed of the laughter, spirit, and love of a handful of amazing human beings we were proud to serve and even prouder to call friends. And we do hold a grudge.

I can’t think of a stronger ally than the City of Hope when it comes to holding cancer accountable.

Why not give yourself the SoCal smile you deserve? And why not give yourself something fulfilling to smile about?

Call us at 626/285-3161 or call the Crown Council at 800/276-9658 for a participating dentist near you.