WARREN, Maine — You might be familiar with the expression, "When you smile, the world smiles with you." But for many victims of domestic abuse, access to dental care to regain their smiles is out of reach.
Now a new statewide program called Finding Our Smiles is working with dental providers to offer their services for free, giving survivors a chance to do what comes naturally to most people.
When dentist Dr. Rebecca Laliberte of Mt. Pleasant & North Pond Dental Care was approached by the nonprofit Finding Our Voices about donating her services to women and children who are victims of domestic violence, she didn't need convincing.
"That is something we wanted to get involved with because one of the most fulfilling pieces of dentistry is to help people regain their confidence, joy, and smile," Laliberte explained enthusiastically.
Over the past six months,18 dentists, including oral surgeons and orthodontists, have provided survivors with free dental procedures. The program provides critical care, cosmetic work stemming from physical abuse and neglect linked to emotional abuse. Laliberte fixed the front tooth of a young woman named Amber.
"She had been hit in the face by her partner. What a small thing for me to fix that chip in her tooth. It almost erased the trauma for her," Laliberte said.
Patrisha McLean, a survivor herself, founded the nonprofit, a statewide resource for survivors of domestic violence, and is best known for posters featuring photo portraits of 45 named Maine survivors.
Nine women have had their smiles restored, including Alexandra. Due to ongoing emotional abuse, her husband prevented her from brushing her teeth. Dental providers are also going above and beyond — providing $35,000 of dental work to date.
"Maybe one tooth needs immediate help, but they are in the chair, and they need all these other things like cavities. And they are doing those also, and we are talking porcelain veneers," McLean explained.
In June, the nonprofit was provided with a free exhibit at the Maine Dental Association's annual convention, as it works towards having dental partners in every Maine county. Finding Our Voices recently received a $10,000 grant from the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation to help manage and expand the program, giving more survivors the power and confidence to smile again.