Smiles of Hope

A picture-perfect smile falls just out of reach for many individuals living in poverty. Dental care is not an option and can lead to pain and infection of untreated mouth diseases.

Center of Hope’s dental program, Kingdom Smiles, is the only program in Parker County that provides dental services to low-income participants who are experiencing serious pain or other health issues related to dental conditions.

One of our participants, James, came to the Center experiencing severe tooth pain in many areas of his mouth. Since he had not been able to afford to go to the dentist for many years, James had no idea the extent of the damage. The Center sent James to a partnering dentist where upon examination it was found that he needed every tooth extracted. Because of the severity of the infection, the dentist removed the teeth quickly and James’ health improved significantly.

“It was the worst pain of my life and there was nothing I could do about it,” remembers James. “What a blessing it was to be able to see a dentist and get this problem fixed. I feel 100% better.” Months later, after his mouth healed properly, James was able to receive his new set of dentures. Now James is pain-free, working a new full-time job and has the confidence he needs to smile once again.