North Carolina is ranked below average in the nation for many health measures, including oral health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 15 percent of low-income adults in the state say their mouth and teeth are in poor condition, and 20 percent of adults say they are not satisfied with the quality of their life because of their oral health. To offer their help in the community, Dr. Amir Marashi of Greater Charlotte Oral & Facial Surgery designed the Second Chance program two years ago, offering the community a life-changing opportunity to apply to receive a smile makeover. The program offers one final recipient a full-arch restoration treatment, a procedure typically costing $50,000, completely free of charge. With the recent addition of Dr. Arman Haghighi, both doctors are excited to be running the program again to transform another local individual’s smile and life.
Tiffany Terrell was only 38 and missing more than half of her teeth before she became the last Second Chance final recipient. One in five adults avoid smiling due to the condition of their mouth and teeth, and Tiffany was one of them, until she was selected out of nearly 200 applicants to receive a brand-new smile in 2016. Her outgoing and infectious personality was masked by the embarrassment of her smile. She became severely depressed and would withdraw herself from any social situation. With no dental insurance, the cost for treatment out-of-pocket was out of the question for her. Transitional fixed bridges were affixed to permanent dental implants to give her a perfect smile while helping preserve her facial structure and preventing bone deterioration that occurs with missing teeth. Since her treatment, her whole life has changed for the better.
“As oral surgeons, we are lucky because we get to change lives every day,” Dr. Marashi said. “The Second Chance program not only gives a deserving person in need another chance to reclaim their oral health, but it also helps improve their confidence and creates an opportunity for someone who may have been holding themselves back because of their smile.”
Greater Charlotte Oral & Facial Surgery has partnered with restorative dentist Dr. Kavi Sagunarthy of Gold Hill Dentistry, Pittman Dental Laboratory out of Georgia, and Straumann Dental Implant Company to complete the procedure.
The application period for Greater Charlotte Oral & Facial Surgery’s Second Chance program opened Monday, December 17, and will run until Thursday, January 17. The program is offered to residents in the Charlotte, Fort Mill, and Gastonia areas. To learn more about the program, and for individuals interested applying, visit: https://