Using Art to for Better Dental Work Results

The Smile Design Gallery in New York City provides the best way of giving. Since it was launched last spring by celebrity dentist Dr. Lee Gause, the charity has been providing complimentary dental services to people without insurance. The funding comes from several auctions and art shows featuring artists and celebrities such as Fab Five Freedy, Angelo Romano, Chi Modu, Swizz Beatz, and A$AP TyY.

The art shows are held each month at different locations around Manhattan. Some of the previous venues include the Riverside Church and the Hudson Hotel. Around $300,000 was already raised by the charity and the last one was held last July 9 at SoHo’s Martin Lawrence Gallery. One of the artists that was featured in the event was Takashi Murakami, an artist who has worked with Pharrell Williams and Kanye West.

The concept behind Smile Design Gallery looks to be unconventional but it is working due to the fact that more than 500 uninsured people were treated in the past year alone. At present, more than 120 million Americans don’t have dental coverage. This was according to the National Association of Dental Plans.

Dr. Gause’s dental office was previously an art gallery and from time to time, it is converted back into one. Works from famous artists, such as Andy Warhol, as well as local street artists are designed for sale. The artworks are priced from $5,000 to $120,000. All the proceeds of the sales go to treating people who can’t afford dental care.

Instead of providing cost effective treatment to a large number of people, Smile Design Gallery provide high quality dental care to a select few who truly needs the treatment. These include porcelain veneers, sedation dentistry, and dental implants. There was one patient who lost all his front teeth when he fell down the stairs. He received more than $25,000 worth of dental treatment.

Photo by Public Domain