"Dentists Curing Cancer One Smile at a Time"

Brighter Smiles for Brighter Futures is a teeth whitening program in which a patient makes a $250 donation plus a $50 kit fee to the Time Matters in the fight against Breast Cancer Campaign. Our Gwinnett county volunteer dentists then provide a tray teeth whitening system to the patient at no further charge. The dentists do not receive any compensation for this service.

Now in its seventh year, the Brighter Smiles program, which runs from October 1, 2008 to January 31, 2009, has raised approximately $600,000 for cancer. If you are interested in whitening your teeth, please plan to visit one of our volunteer dentists during this program so that we can work together to meet your needs, along with the needs of those who are fighting cancer. The $250 donation is tax-deductible.

Proceeds from the 2008 Brighter Smiles for Brighter Futures campaign will be used to purchase one of three ultrasound machines (cost of approximately $115,000) that will be used in the expanded & renovated Diagnostic Mammography Center at GMC-Duluth. The renovations to the center will be complete in October of 2008 and the ultrasound machine would be purchased after completion of the BSBF campaign in February 2009.

About the Diagnostic Mammography Center at GMC-Duluth:

The purpose of this center is to provide dedicated diagnostic breast imaging services for women who have significant symptoms such as a lump, mass or other abnormalities. These services can be used to help in the evaluation of a woman who has had an abnormal screening mammogram or has previously had cancer or other significant history. This project will not only add services to the GMC-Duluth campus for breast cancer detection but enhance the physical surroundings to provide a calming, relaxing atmosphere. The experience for a woman visiting this center can be very stressful as the findings from a diagnostic mammogram, ultrasound or biopsy can mean a cancer diagnosis.

As our community keeps growing, the need for women's imaging services continues to exceed the current Gwinnett Hospital System service capacity. With the opening of the Center for Screening Mammography at Gwinnett Medical Center-Duluth, we currently have no back log in screening mammography. However, we continue to struggle with the capacity and availability of diagnostic services to include: diagnostic mammography, biopsies and breast ultrasound. We currently have a back log of stereo tactic and ultrasound guided biopsy procedures. The earlier the detection of breast cancer allows for an accelerated intervention, resulting in a greater chance of survival for the patient.

Gwinnett Medical Center, system-wide, performs approximately 23,000 diagnostic mammograms per year, however, with this expanded diagnostic center, we could potentially reach many more patients who need these important services. It is anticipated that upon completion an additional 4,500 diagnostic mammograms, 5,000 breast ultrasounds, and 765 breast biopsies can be performed per year.

In the News

Article published in ADA News June 19, 2006 - Stacie Crozier
Brighter Smiles supports local cancer program
Georgia dentists offer bleaching for patients who make donations
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