A few weeks ago, Saving Money wrote about reduced-cost braces offered by the Dental School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University.
Turns out there's a national program that offers braces for even less.
They're not free. But for $525, a low-income family can get braces and accompanying orthodontic care for a child from a nonprofit group called Smiles Change Lives.
This is not cosmetic dentistry.
"Our kids do have to have a fairly severe need for braces," says Andrea Umbreit, spokeswoman for the Missouri-based nonprofit founded in 1997.
That means a moderate to severe malocclusion -- the improper meeting of the upper and lower teeth -- a misaligned jaw or seriously crooked teeth.
To qualify, a family must have a taxable income that is 200 percent or less of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that's $46,100 a year; for a family of two, it's $30,260. A family's most recent federal income tax records must be provided with the application, along with a $25 fee.
In addition, children who apply to the program need a referral from their dentist that says they take good care of their teeth. Kids with braces who don't properly brush and floss can end up with serious dental problems down the road, Umbreit says. And the program doesn't want to risk that.
If you're interested, you can find details and an application at smileschangelives.org.
If you're accepted, you'll be sent to an orthodontist to make sure you meet the program's guidelines. If the answer is yes, you pay the remaining $500 and treatment begins.
Here's the catch: there's a waiting list. Nationwide, it has 1,200 kids on it. But Smiles Change Lives is recruiting orthodontists every day.
In Ohio, 22 are now part of the program, and 30 children are waiting to see them. Orthodontists who want to volunteer should call 816-421-4949 or go to smileschangelives.org/learnmore.
Know someone who might qualify? Send them to www.smileschangelives.org for more information!
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