GSO launched its ‘Gift of a Smile’ and ‘Purple Heart Smiles’ programs in an effort to alleviate the financial burden and stress COVID-19 has caused local families.
Georgia School of Orthodontics (GSO) will provide four additional Atlanta-based children with complimentary orthodontic care through its Gift of a Smile program. GSO established the Gift of a Smile program in 2016 to celebrate the grand opening of its Atlanta clinic. Since its inception, the program has provided free orthodontic care to 13 children in the metro Atlanta area, as part of the school’s pledge to provide $100,000 in complimentary orthodontic care to children who need braces but cannot otherwise afford it.
“Increasing the access to orthodontic care is a core part of our mission here at the Georgia School of Orthodontics. 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,” says Randy Kluender, DDS, MS, president of the GSO Board of Trustees.
The school has enhanced its safety protocols with state-of-the-art sterilization techniques to protect patients from COVID-19. Decatur resident Oli Soler, who is a dental receptionist and mother of Gift of a Smile recipient Damian Soler, 16, says the experience for her son has been a wonderful journey. “Seeing his smile change and his confidence grow has been a blessing. The staff and doctors at GSO are amazing and we are so thankful for this incredible gift.”
GSO’s Gift of a Smile is just one part of its mission to provide increased access to the highest quality orthodontic care at a lower cost. The school also began the Purple Heart Smiles program, which provides free orthodontic care to the children of Purple Heart recipients. To date, GSO has provided over 24 children of Purple Heart recipients with complimentary care. Both programs combined have provided more than $125,000 in complimentary orthodontic care to Atlanta’s deserving children.
