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Smiles Change Lives by Melanie Johnston

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Smiles Change Lives   

by Melanie Johnston

About Smiles Change Lives
The average cost of braces in the US ranges from $6,000-7,000 per child making them unaffordable for many hardworking families. Further, orthodontic treatment has long been considered cosmetic by insurance companies, providing little assistance even for those with coverage. Consequently, many children and teens suffer unnecessary discomfort and embarrassment from their misaligned teeth. Smiles Change Lives (SCL) aims to change this by providing families the opportunity to get braces for their children through a network of volunteer orthodontists across the United States and Canada.

Founder Virginia Brown grew up during the Great Depression, and her parents could only afford orthodontic treatment for one of their children. While Virginia’s sister received braces, Virginia endured years of teasing and low self-esteem until she could afford treatment herself. This experience profoundly impacted, and she vowed to take action when she could.

In 1997, Virginia and her son Tom Brown established Smiles Change Lives (originally The Virginia Brown Orthodontic Partnership) to help children today avoid the physical and emotional difficulties Virginia experienced.

Headquartered in Kansas City, SCL has treated more than 20,000 children since 1997 together with its network of over 700 orthodontists. Over the last 27 years, it has become the nation’s leader in providing access to orthodontic care for qualified and motivated youth.


SCL Qualifications
To qualify for the program, a child must be between the ages of 7-18, have good oral hygiene, not be wearing braces currently, have a moderate to severe need for braces, and their family must meet certain financial guidelines.

Each family agrees to follow the program’s rules and make a required financial investment in order to be approved. These funds are used to recruit more doctors willing to treat more children. In this way, each family truly “pays it forward” - by helping their own child, they are making it possible for the next child to be treated as well. The full program guidelines can be reviewed at smileschangelives.org.


Becoming an SCL Provider
Over the years, SCL has developed a turn-key process for orthodontic practices wanting to give back to their local community. This allows an orthodontist to do what they do best – transform smiles.

SCL conducts a rigorous application and screening process to ensure all patients assigned to a provider are qualified, motivated and appreciative. The process to become a provider with SCL is simple, making it easy and enjoyable to help kids.
  1. Submit a provider agreement along with a copy of your license and insurance.
  2. Attend an orientation call with your team so everyone understands how it works and get questions answered.
  3. Let us know how many kids to send.
We’ll reach out to your referring general dentists to provide well-deserved recognition and generate qualified applicants in your area.

To learn more about partnering with SCL, visit smileschangelives.org/for-orthodontists/become-an-scl-provider/provider-inquiry/.


What SCL Providers are saying
Here’s what a couple of our partnering providers had to say about their experience working with Smiles Change Lives:

Dr. Michael Sheinis – Shiney Smiles Ortho NY
"Working with SCL has not only changed many childrens’ lives, but my life too! I have always looked for ways to give back to my community, and this program has completely streamlined that for me. It has given me the opportunity to treat far more people in need than I could have ever accomplished by myself. There truly is no better feeling than finishing my SCL cases. They are all beyond grateful for our hard work and time that we put into their treatment. My only regret was not linking up with SCL sooner when I started my practice."

Dr. Jeremy Smith – Smith & Davis Orthodontics AR
“I’m a big fan of Smiles Change Lives because of the organization at the corporate level. Patients who reach our office through SCL tend to be educated in advance of their initial appointment making our jobs easier. We donate patient care in various ways at our office, but what’s unique about the patients we treat through SCL is they have some financial commitment via the program fee. This additional motivation from the patients and families contributes to our partnership as they undergo treatment.

In the past I’ve provided treatment through other programs that didn’t have this organization at the top level. SCL just makes it so easy for us to identify and help those in need.”

Dr. Kelly Toombs – Toombs Orthodontics KS
“Treating patients through SCL has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career in orthodontics. It truly changes the lives of these kids, and they and their families are incredibly grateful. SCL makes it so easy for the orthodontist and virtually every bracket manufacturer like American Orthodontics supplies the brackets at no charge. Invisalign is also now donating their lab fee to SCL patients.

Participating with SCL is a great way to differentiate your practice and make you stand out to referring dentists. But ultimately, it just feels great to give back to your community and help these kids.”


Additional benefits
SCL offers marketing benefits to all providers helping to brand them as caring, community-minded businesses. This support can include copywriting, social media posts, press releases, and media coverage. We aim to ensure your community is aware of the outstanding you are doing to provide children in need with healthy, beautiful smiles!

Additionally, other businesses in the dental industry partner with SCL to donate essential materials such as hardware, clear aligners, retainers, laboratory services, etc. This collaboration allows them a way to support SCL’s mission of SCL by aiding the providers, creating a win-win situation for everyone involved!

Author Bio
Michelle Shimmin Melanie Johnston has served as the Director of Marketing for Smiles Change Lives for the past eleven years. In her role, she maintains the online application process, manages the website, posts on social media, and attends trade shows. Melanie and her team are dedicated to streamlining and automating processes to increase SCL's capacity to treat more children.
Outside of work, Melanie enjoys spending time in her garden, creating ceramics, and sharing moments with friends and family.
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September 2025
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