Getting Your Smile Back

For many individuals, going to the dentist can create anxiety. But for survivors of domestic violence, it can trigger past trauma from being assaulted in the face or mouth by their abuser, leaving damage to their teeth. Rose Brooks Center is helping victims and survivors get their smiles back thanks to a generous grant from Delta Dental of Kansas – a partnership which has everyone smiling!

“Because of Delta Dental of Kansas funds, one survivor who got her dentures told me how great it was for her to finally have teeth to chew with,” explains Rose Brooks Center’s Health Services Coordinator, Eva Vlach. “She said that injuries to her throat, due to domestic violence, made it hard for her to swallow properly if her food wasn’t chewed well. Now she can actually chew her food so she can swallow without pain.”

To date, survivors have received services ranging from basic exams and x-rays to extractions, dentures, and crowns. Without this added resource and support dedicated to dental care, many survivors would still be hiding their very beautiful and much-deserved smiles.

The impact of Delta Dental and a smile:

• One woman in her mid-thirties felt so much better about herself once she got dentures that she was able to go out and get a job. It meant the world to her to get teeth that would look and feel good.
• Recently, a survivor approached the Health Services Coordinator about her dental pain. She had heard about the wonderful dental services available from other survivors in the shelter. The survivor was in luck, as there was a last minute cancellation from another client who, for her own safety reasons, was not going to be able to make her scheduled appointment. The cancellation created an opportunity for the survivor who was experiencing pain to quickly access dental services. She, of course, jumped at the opportunity. Once complete, she cried and cried with joy. “No one can know how much it means to have this gift given to you. I never, ever would have been able to afford to get my teeth fixed. This is a miracle! Please tell them thank you! thank you! thank you! for me!”