Gig Harbor Smile Makeover
“Because of our mission of delivering Smiles for Everyone, we know how it feels to give back a Smile,” expressed Bright Now! Dental’s Gig Harbor, WA Office Manager, Marco Gonzales, as he recalled the moments leading up to his Team’s first Smile Makeover. “We are a brand new office that opened about a year ago. The first time the Gig Harbor office participated in a Day of Giving was at the one on May 5th held for veterans in Kent, WA. Everyone was excited to give back, as some of my staff’s family members are military families.” It was on this day that the Team met Richard Rodriguez and his wife, Lola. “They came in hoping to get Richard’s upper teeth extracted because they caused him pain and were mainly unrestorable,” Marco tells. “He couldn’t really eat well and smile.”
But Richard’s hope for relief was soon deflated after realizing that he was unable participate in the free clinic. “Dr. Richa Mehta and the Team couldn’t perform any procedures because Richard needed a medical release from his primary physician due to having high blood pressure,” Marco summarized. “Richard was disappointed because they drove 2 hours, about 97.6 miles, to the Kent office hoping to get something done pro bono.”
Luckily for Richard, the Gig Harbor Team was adamant about delivering Smiles for Everyone. They promised to treat him for free at a later date so that he could receive clearance from his primary doctor.
“Dr. Mehta and the Team stepped up to the plate and told them to come to the office in Gig Harbor,” Marco proudly recounted. “Not only did Dr. Mehta extract the ones that were hurting Richard up top, but she proceeded with treatment planning his entire upper arch to be extracted. She gave him upper dentures so the anatomy of his upper arch will look full again and he can eat, and most importantly smile!”
The extra effort put into restoring Richard’s smile made the Gig Harbor Team feel fulfilled and accomplished. “Two of our goals set at the beginning of the year were to volunteer with the Smiles for Everyone Foundation as a Team and to nominate a patient for the Community Smile Project. And we achieved our goals,” exclaimed Marco. “Personally as the OM, I believe that this practice of giving back not only empowers the recipient of the act but also us as individuals. It makes us grow as a person knowing we helped out someone in need using the skills that we were blessed with. And special shout-out to our favorite dental lab, NDX Albensi, for covering the lab costs at no charge!”
Richard couldn’t stop smiling when he finally received his dentures. Both he and his wife repeatedly thanked the Team and even gifted the office with tokens of Richard’s gratitude. “Richard used to work for a radio station and now enjoys burning mixed CDs of his favorite 90’s hits as a hobby,” says Marco. “He made everyone in the office copies of his mixed CDs!”
The Smiles for Everyone Foundation would like to thank the entire Gig Harbor Team, including Marco Gonzales and Dr. Richa Mehta, for going the extra Smile to fulfill our mission of delivering Smiles for Everyone!
