Orthodontic practice gives foster kids a chance to smile

This article was written for our sponsor, Bovenizer and Baker Orthodontics.

According to the National Institutes of Health, around 4 million kids in the United States under the age of 18 have braces. This number, however, doesn't even take into account the number of kids that need them, but aren't able to afford them. Braces can range anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000, with the average cost falling in the $5,000 to $6,000 range.

For kids in the foster care system, the cost of braces can often be too much for foster parents to afford. Across the country, there are several programs dedicated to helping foster children get the dental care they need. In the Triangle, Bovenizer and Baker Orthodontics in Cary is using their A Chance to Smile program to do their part locally.

In partnering with the nonprofit Friends of Wake County Guardian ad Litem Program, the orthodontic practice uses their state-of-the-art technology to give children in foster care the orthodontic care that they need, free of cost.

"Bovenizer and Baker very generously provide a certain number of services. The Friends of Wake County receives referrals from either the Department of Social Services, a case social worker, or from the guardian ad litem [volunteer advocate] assigned to the case for children who may be in need of and qualify for those services," said Heather Forshey, President of the Friends of Wake County Guardian ad Litem Program Board of Directors. "They have been generous not only in providing these services for free and getting no compensation at all, but they also are independently raising money to fund our other programs. I can't applaud their efforts enough or state what a difference this has made not only in the success of our program, but in the lives of the children that they provide services to."

Bovenizer and Baker is just one of several community partners that work with the nonprofit, but through this particular collaboration, the A Chance to Smile program was able to get its start.

In addition to partnering with Friends of Wake County to fund the A Chance to Smile program, Bovenizer and Baker also collect funds directly through their office from donations. If you donate $25, you can take home Seymour the Llama, a stuffed mascot meant to remind everyone to "see more" around them. Donations can also be made directly on the Friends of Wake County website and earmarked for specific programs.

In Wake County alone, there are 700 children in foster care. Of those in foster care, only half will be employed by age 24. By providing them with the resources and support they need earlier in life, Bovenizer and Baker and the Friends of Wake County hope to make a positive impact on the lives of the children and the community at-large.

"We're here to meet the unmet needs, and I think a lot of people have a misconception that the foster care system or the government provides for all of these things, but they're not equipped to. It is our job and our responsibility as a community to try to provide these things for these children," said Forshey. "What we know is that children in foster care typically don't have the opportunities for higher education, and at least a fourth of children in foster care will be homeless when they age out. The more that we can do to improve their lives, give them hope, and give them better opportunities to improve their lives and our communities as a whole, the better — and it really takes the community as a whole to do it."

This article was written for our sponsor, Bovenizer & Baker Orthodontics.