Brazil is one of the top producers of dentists around the world.
According to the Dentistry Federative Counsel, Brazil has more than 264,000 in 2015 – or almost 20% of dentists in the entire world. They also prioritize hygiene, among others. You can spot restaurants with toothpaste and floss dispensers.
But this doesn’t mean that every Brazilian has excellent dental health.
The great socio-economic divide in the country still leaves people in lower education groups and poor communities without any access to dental care. Some haven’t even been to a dental clinic, seen a dentist, or sat on a dental chair before. All these are despite the government’s efforts to make dental care more accessible to all.
This great divide brought this Brazilian dentist to bring smiles to people by doing what he does best: dentistry.
Dr. Felipe Rossi uses his expertise to help others in his home country and other countries as well. He believes that everyone deserves to smile and bring happiness to the world. He does so by giving dental services to the underprivileged people in the community.
He started the NGO Por1Sorriso, which translates to “For 1 Smile” in English.
The name of the organization speaks for itself – that they ask people to help sponsor even for just one person’s smile. Their team comprises 4,000 registered volunteers who go around poor towns and perform dental procedures for people who may probably have not seen a dentist for more of their lives.
Por1Sorriso runs through sponsorships and donations.
They currently have two private company sponsors, plus the famous dental products brand Colgate. They also accept donations from people through their Smile Solidarity program, where they can make monthly pledges. To add to their funding, they run fundraising activities to cover the costs of their free dental services in poor communities.
Their five-day dental mission costs at least $5,000.
Dr. Rossi admits that they face financial challenges as a group, and they are trying to keep the NGO afloat as they struggle to survive. However, they are thankful nonetheless because they’re able to battle it out and still do what they love to do.
He believes that what they’re doing is not just taking care of teeth but also taking care of people.
Dr. Rossi said in an interview with Daily Mail:
“Awakening smiles, without a business relationship, just for love, connects us with something bigger. One day, a smile will be for everyone, and tears will fall with joy, just for being able to smile.”
And this is very true as their work goes viral all the time.
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Their Instagram account shows their fantastic work of dental restoration. You can see the emotions of their patients after seeing their beautiful smiles again. This does not only bring smiles to those who had their teeth restored but those who can see the beauty of Por1Sorriso’s passion and kindness.
You can visit their Instagram account so it can bring your smiles today. Meanwhile, here are some of their best works:
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