Sarasota dentist offers free dental implants to veterans

Dr. Mili Patel, CEO of Smile Design Dentistry, had wanted to offer something impactful to the community. 

Through a partnership the office formed, she decided to do something that would put a smile on the faces of veterans, in a way that started with their teeth, but would also impact their lives more broadly. 

On Nov. 8, Smile Design Dentistry on Bee Ridge Road offered free dental restorations, ranging from implants for missing teeth to full mouth reconstructions, to 15 veterans.

The service, now in its third year, was offered alongside the Florida-based global dental company ZimVie Dental, which provided the implants.

“This office is just so giving and always trying to help everyone as much as they can," said Veronica Henry, the lead assistant to the clinic's lead doctor Phennatda Polpornvitoon. "And this is probably the best opportunity for our patients, because replacing teeth is very expensive, so this is the best way to give back."

Creating a new smile

Polpornvitoon, who is one of the top doctors in Smile Design, a family-owned company with 75 offices in the state of Florida, was instrumental in organizing the event. 

She sent word into the community to draw candidates for screenings. 

Many patients either don't have teeth and wear dentures, or have a few missing teeth, Polpornvitoon said, and financially cannot afford the cost of dental implant.

According to Lynnae Cepielik, corporate sales manager at ZimVie, the average cost is between $4,000 and $8,000 for a single unit, and a full mouth restoration, several of which were provided that day, can be upwards of $30,000.

Polpornvitoon said the implants help preserve patients' jaws as they grow older. 

However, they also help patients with functional needs, so that they can chew and eat foods they otherwise could not, and they also serve self-esteem.

“We did interview some of our patient who did come back and want to hear their sincere opinion, and they were very grateful, and it's really changed their lives,” Polpornvitoon said.

Cepielik said some patients drove from further than Lakeland to receive the procedures.

"I think a lot of the time, the first thing that you notice about a person is their smile and their eyes, and so, a lot of people are self conscious about the way their teeth look, and this gives them that confidence back, and also makes them look a lot younger," said Cepielik.

She said the event was part of the company's outreach to help patients and provide doctors with more surgical experience, with some less experienced doctors working under the more experienced ones.

One couple, who asked not to be named, testified to the impact of the service offered.

“He had a stroke five years ago, and we've come a long way, and for them to offer this because of what we went through financially, it's huge,” said the patient's wife. “These people, they've been awesome, and they stepped out and offered this to us out of the generous kindness of their hearts, and we really appreciate it, because it helps us to get ahead with healing in our life, in many other areas than just the teeth.”

Cepielik said the company hopes to expand to VA and VFW branches.

“A lot of us have family members that have served or are serving currently, and it's pretty near and dear to all of our hearts, and we think that the veterans are pretty underserved in the US, so it's nice to be able to give back,” she said.