I have something special for you today: Bonny Glen’s first-ever guest post. Our good friend Dan Tapper worked at a rather amazing charity event last weekend, and when he related the story to us, I asked if he would share it here. Thanks, Dan.

Making a Difference, One Smile at a Time

by Dan Tapper

They came from as far away as Georgia, and as nearby as down the street.  Different colors, different ages, different backgrounds.  Some were college students and many were elderly on fixed incomes, though the majority qualified to be categorized as “working poor.”  This is the group that used to be known as the working class in America. No more.

They all came to a bright, new college campus in Danbury, Connecticut – the richest state in the richest country in the world. They came by the hundreds in lines that stretched longer than football fields.  They came for one reason and one reason only – to get free dental care.  It was something they otherwise couldn’t afford.

They all came in need, and they all left with a smile. A healthier, more hopeful smile.

This past weekend, more than 2,000 people were treated as dental patients at the 5^th Annual Connecticut Mission of Mercy, a free clinic that has been offered annually in Connecticut since 2008.  America’s Mission of Mercy is a national project designed to provide essential emergency dental services for those who need them and can’t afford them, and also to raise awareness of the dental health crisis that exists in America. The first Mission of Mercy was held in rural Virginia in 2000 – in 2008, Connecticut became the 7^th state to hold one. By the end of 2012, 23 different states will hold their own Missions of Mercy.

The name says it all – relieving people of dental pain is the epitome of a mission of mercy.  Dental pain can ruin your day, can cause you to lose sleep, can destroy your mood and can make you not want to get out of bed in the morning. Dental distress can lead to greater health problems – poor dental health has been firmly linked to diabetes, heart disease and low birth weight babies.  Dental health is medical health, period.

The Connecticut Mission of Mercy is here for this reason. More than 200 dentists and 1,600 volunteers set up a 120+ chair dental clinic and treated more than 2,000 patients over a two-day period, starting at 6 a.m. both days. This was not simply a “Smile Mobile: or a quick lesson in dental hygiene.  This was a full range of dental work – x-rays, cleanings, fillings, root canals, extractions and even temporary dentures.

Dentists stood side by side dozens of their colleagues in a college basketball arena that had been transformed into a massive dental office, treating patients and doing everything with grace and good humor. All told, dentists provided more than $1.2 million in dental services for free over the two day period.

One of those patients – the first one on line, actually – was a delightful and cheerful 30-something woman named Jessica, who came from 70 miles away with her nine-year-old son to get their teeth fixed.  Jessica was temporarily in a wheelchair due to a recent leg injury, but it didn’t stop her from arriving 17 hours early – seventeen hours!!! – to get in line at 1 pm Thursday for a clinic that opened at 6 am Saturday.

Jessica’s story is as familiar as it is maddening.  Her husband works in construction and she homeschools her son.  They are a happy family, proud of who they are and what they do to take care of each other.  They are not looking for hand-outs. But his work doesn’t provide him with dental insurance, and the family makes too much in income to qualify f

& Book Giveaway Comments Contest!

Dr. Catrise Austin owes her A-List career to a love of belly laughs. As a new dentist, Dr. Austin enjoyed many nights at the comedy clubs of New York City where she met up and coming comedians such as Chris Rock, Tracey Morgan, Mike Epps, and Dave Chappelle. Before you could say, "Brush after every meal" Dr. Austin was known as the "Dentist to the stars."

But Dr. Austin, who originally became a dentist because of how she felt as a young girl with a less-than-perfect smile, knew that great smiles weren't just for Hollywood. Many of her patients are not "stars" and it was for these people that she decided to write a book of all the secrets she'd acquired. She wanted the A-List smile to be in everyone's grasp.

Find out more about Dr. Austin by visiting her websites:
http://www.hollywoodalistsmile.com
http://www.vipsmiles.com

5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile
By Dr. Catrise Austin

Imagine having a smile that is red carpet ready like Hollywood's A-List Stars! What if you could learn the secrets to a smile worthy of the red carpet--right in your own living room? What if you could learn what the stars do to get their Hollywood A-List smiles--then scout out ways to get it for a fraction of the price? What if you could gain--or perhaps even regain--the confidence, enthusiasm, and energy of today's hottest celebs simply by getting the smile of your dreams? You can, you know, and 5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile shows you how.

Dr. Catrise Austin is known as Manhattan's "celebrity dentist to the stars." Her busy 57th Street Midtown office is home to some of the most cutting-edge, [and] high-tech techniques on the planet, but you don't need to spend tons of money or even a lot of time on your smile if you simply learn the basics taught in 5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile.

Paperback: 244 pages
Published by Morgan James Publishing (Oct. 2009)
ISBN: 1600376444

Book Giveaway Comments Contest!

If you received our Events Newsletter, remember, we are holding a contest to win a copy of Dr. Catrise Austin's book, 5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile, to those that comment. So, grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and enjoy the chat, and share your thoughts, and comments, at the end. We will randomly choose a winner from those who comment. Enjoy!

Interview by Jodi Webb

WOW: