Oral Surgery Specialists of Idaho looking to give someone a $50,000 new smile

Local oral surgeons are offering a $50,000 smile to a community member with ‘extremely poor oral health.’

The oral surgeons of Oral Surgery Specialists of Idaho, formerly Facial and Oral Surgery Associates, are launching their first-ever Second Chance program.

“Our smiles give us our confidence. It gives us our ability to talk to people, and if you’re in a position where you don’t really feel comfortable with that or smiling, you really become withdrawn from the community,” said Shawn Jepsen, DMD.

Jepsen and his associate Mark Baker, DDS, are hoping to help someone who’s down on their luck and in need of a complete smile makeover. They’re currently accepting applications from community members with poor oral health.

“It’s so hard to find one lucky recipient,” Baker said. “We’ve already had almost 200 applications. It’s crazy.”

Baker thinks its possible they’ll receive 400 applications before the Oct. 4 deadline.

“I know it’s hard to narrow it down to one. It’s almost impossible, but we’ll try to do something for the others who took the time to apply and participate in the program,” Baker said.

The lucky person will receive $50,000 worth of restoration: a completely new smile through a full-arch restoration procedure, free of charge.

The full-arch restoration is the most effective and beneficial option for patients in need of multiple tooth replacement.

“This denture is not one that can come in and out of our mouth. It’s one that is permanently placed in there. (The denture) is put in permanently through dental implants that are anchored into the bone and then the denture itself is screwed to that, and then it stays there permanently,” Jepsen said.

The permanent fixture is custom-designed to resemble natural teeth, and because it attaches to dental implants, it functions like natural teeth.

“We are thrilled to be able to give back to a deserving community member in such a life-changing and memorable way,” said Baker. “Poor oral health and critical chronic diseases are closely correlated. We hope to provide our final recipient with a second chance at better overall health and the means to gain back their self-confidence to take on life the way they always hoped they could.”

The application period for the Second Chance program is open through Oct. 4. Residents in the Pocatello, Blackfoot, and Preston communities who are interested can apply online at https://facialandoralsurgery.com/secondchance/. Oral Surgery Specialists of Idaho will be posting program updates and announcements to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/oralsurgeryidaho/.

The Second Chance program is aimed to help improve the health and well-being of a local resident in the community who suffers from poor oral health and does not have the means to afford the extensive surgery. Those with decaying and missing teeth feel helpless and have a poor self-image, which can prevent them from traditional life milestones.