Are you reluctant to say ‘cheese’ on camera because your teeth are missing, broken, misshapen or colored? You’re not alone. There are thousands of unsmiling faces out there, just because the pearly whites are missing or not displayable. Unfortunately, such people also cannot afford a dentist.
However, here’s a savior in the form of a Brazilian dentist named Felipe Rossi, who travels with his dentist chair to fix the teeth of people for free. This 38-year-old dentist does so through his NGO, Por1sorriso that provides free dental checkup and dental procedures to people who can’t afford a dentist.
Rossi and his team lug almost two tons of dental equipment to every village or town they visit, whether it’s within the country or in Kenya, Mozambique or some other African country. His team has the capability of performing over a thousand procedures at any one location. The happy stories of people whose lives changed after dental procedures that Rossi’s team leaves in its wake are most heart-warming.
Rossi’s motivation is his desire to spread goodness to one and all. According to R7 news, a five-day mission costs the NGO a whopping R$20,000, that is, US$4,974. Of course, big businesses, such as Colgate and others, do help Rossi out by extending sponsorship, as do individuals, who donate through the ‘Smile Solidarity’ program. Besides this, he also conducts fundraising events to meet the costs.
According to R7 news, Rossi’s NGO has over 4,000 volunteers registered with it. They help in spreading awareness about oral hygiene and why it’s important. Rossi’s efforts of bringing beautiful smiles on the faces of the poor for free is not only being appreciated by people but also acts as a lesson for budding dentists.
And the ‘before and after’ photos of happy people, who have successfully undergone Rossi’s dental procedure, are a treat to watch!
More Info: Instagram | por1sorriso | Website
