Gwinnett Daily Post | Curt Yeomens | July 19, 2020
Some metro Atlanta kids will have a chance to receive complimentary orthodontic care from the Georgia School of Orthodontics this fall, the school has announced.
The free care will be provided to four children through the school’s Gift of a Smile program and nominations will be accepted through the end of August. The goal of the program is to provide the complimentary care to children whose families cannot afford braces that the kids need.
“Increasing the access to orthodontic care is a core part of our mission here at the Georgia School of Orthodontics,” GSO Board of Trustees President Dr. Randy Kluender. “We are honored to provide these deserving children with free orthodontic care. We hope that we can in some small way alleviate the financial burden and stress that COVID-19 has caused local families.”
The deadline to nominate kids for the care is Aug. 31, and winners will be announced Sept. 16. Nominations can be submitted at bracestoday.com/gift.
The Gift of Smile program was initially launched in 2016 to celebrate the opening of the school’s Atlanta clinic and has help 13 metro area kids by providing them with free orthodontic care. It’s part of a pledge by the school to offer $100,000 in complimentary care to kids whose families cannot afford needed orthodontic care.
Now it’s being designed to help kids whose families have taken a financial hit because of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic.
LaTresha McGowan — whose son, Solomon, is a Gift of a Smile recipient — praised the program. McGowan raises Solomon and his brother Philip with her sister.
“It’s almost like night and day,” McGowan said in a statement. “Solomon used to mumble and hide his mouth behind his hand. He smiles all the time now, actively participates in family events, and seeks out new friends and new experiences.”
Decatur resident Oli Soler — a dental receptionist whose son, Damian Soler, 16, is another Gift of a Smile recipient — offered similar praise for the program.
“Seeing his smile change day by day and seeing his confidence grow has been a blessing,” Oli Soler said. “The staff and doctors at GSO are amazing and we are so thankful for this incredible gift.”
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