Saratoga News

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Photograph by Mark Tantrum

Saratoga dentist Dr. Suzanne Hamilton of LaVigna Dentale works on a patient who came in for treatment on 'giving day.' Four times a year Hamilton offers free evaluation and treatment for those in need.

Filling a Need

'Giving days' at LaVigna Dentale help those who have fallen on hard times

By Chris Vongsarath

If confidence and a smile get you in the door, what price do you put on each? Dr. Suzanne Hamilton of LaVigna Dentale says to work on the smile, and the confidence usually isn't too far behind.

That's why four times out of the year Hamilton welcomes those who have fallen on hard times and cannot afford dental care to "giving day" for a free evaluation and treatment.

Although it may not seem like much, the dental care has boosted confidence and self-esteem for many patients looking to get back on their feet.

Started around Thanksgiving of 1999 (hence the name), giving day is a way for Hamilton and her team to contribute to the community.

"There's a huge need for dental care," she said. "We believed as a local business it was important to invest back into the community, and this is the skill I happen to have."

Micheline Hodge, a registered dental assistant, volunteered her Saturday to help out with giving day. She has been with LaVigna, at 12967 Saratoga Ave., since the first giving day and has seen how it has changed the lives of several patients.

Hodge recalls a 19-year-old mother struggling to care for her child. Having her teeth taken care of gave her confidence to take care of the other things in her life.

"It wasn't just about her dental health. It was about her taking care of her child and staying away from the things that were bringing her down," Hodge said. "To see the responsibility come out of that, and us being on the side, was amazing. Having good dental health is very important to overall health."

Kim DiVittorio, a registered dental hygienist, was another professional who donated her time to help others on the giving day.

"It lifts my spirits when I can help to make a difference in someone's smile," she said. "[The patients] are all so grateful it's worth every minute of my time."

LaVigna has also changed the lives of its employees.

Sixteen-year-old Isaura Gutierrez of San Jose started working at LaVigna last year as a "floater," doing whatever was needed in the office. It started out as a temporary weekend job, but now Gutierrez wants to pursue dentistry as a profession.

Gutierrez, who comes from a family of 13 brothers and sisters, said some of her family members have also come in.

While it may seem as if giving day is open to everyone, Hamilton is careful about commercialization. Employees usually spread the news by word-of-mouth, or organizations refer special cases.

Hamilton said she wants to be sure of a patient's need.

"It has to be referral-based from anyone who can verify a person's need," she said. "Usually, it's the organization that can do that."

Bridges Intervention Services, an organization that works with at-risk youths, and LaVigna have been longtime partners. Working with smaller organizations such as Bridges has made giving day possible and manageable.

When she first started giving day, Hamilton took on all comers and was overwhelmed. Now, she focuses on those who need her help most.

Deborah Davis-Wheeler volunteers at Bridges and is secretary of the board of the directors. She said the partnership between Bridges and LaVigna just made sense.

"Dr. Hamilton believes in giving back to the community, and that's what I'm doing with Bridges," she said. "It's extremely rare in this day and age to find someone like her. We're trying to merge the work to benefit everybody."

Bridges, based in Union City, is an indication of how far giving day reaches. People from all over the Bay Area have come in throughout the years.

Crystal Cabarlos of Fremont found out about the program through her work with Bridges. Last Saturday was the first time she and her brother, Angel, were at giving day. She said the chance to get free dental work was too good to miss.

"It gives people the opportunity to see a dentist when they need to," she said. "Most people don't go see the dentist because of the cost."

Across the lobby, Shadia Abdo of San Jose sat waiting her turn. Through Destiny's Home, a transitional home for women, she has been a giving day participant for about two years.

"I love it. They know my name when I call and treat me like I'm special," she said. "I'd probably have a lot less teeth if they didn't have this here."

Hamilton said she wants giving day patients to be treated just like regular patients, which is why many of them return as regulars. The turnoff in programs like this is when patients are viewed as charity cases.

Although the dental work is free, LaVigna can do only so much because of limited resources and lab costs. Hamilton said she hopes to be able to do more restorative work in the future, but that depends on how many donations LaVigna receives.

Hamilton also hopes to recruit more dental offices to the program in order to accommodate more patients. But she understands that liability issues may stop many offices. However, her office relies on its philosophy.

"However we are approached, the big thing is to be comprehensive in our diagnostics," she said. "It's not our job to do everything, just to let them know what's going on."

And for some patients, that's enough.

As Hamilton speaks about the many patients she's had, tears fill her eyes.

"Watching their lives restoredand seeing them go from down and out to being a contributing person in the community, now that's the best," she said. "I have no intention of stopping. It's a well-spent day."