Fresh Start Surgical Gifts Transforms Lives through Free Dental Care

Fresh Start Surgical Gifts’ Dental Clinics provide for free restorative and orthodontic dental procedures as well as preventative dental education for disadvantaged infants, children, and teens suffering from physical deformities and other conditions.

Dental Clinics are held 13 times annually and treat approximately 20 children at each Clinic.

Fresh Start provides free dental care for patients with a large range of conditions including cleft lip and palate, hemifacial microsomia, amelogenesis imperfecta, facial asymmetry, Treacher-Collins syndrome, and other physical deformities caused by birth defects, accidents, abuse, or disease.

The Dental Clinics are held at the offices of local San Diego dentists and orthodontists who volunteer their time and their facility to treat low-income, uninsured, and underinsured children.

All of Fresh Start’s dentists, orthodontists, dental assistants and hygienists, and dental surgeons are volunteers at every dental clinic and, last year, donated $239,448.80 in labor, supplies, and facility space.
At the Dental Clinics Fresh Start provides for free:

• Cleanings, Exams, and Fillings
• Reconstructive and surgical dental procedures for patients with cleft lip and palate or other oral/maxillofacial deformities
• Orthodontic care for the correction of dentofacial abnormalities for patients with hemifacial microsomia and other facial deformities
• Wisdom teeth removal
• Implants and crowns

Complementary to our free dental procedures, Dental Clinics also provide preventative dental education and pamphlets, floss, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other dental hygiene equipment for all Fresh Start patients.

Fresh Start treats patients come from across the United States and around the world but all dental and medical procedures are provided in San Diego and all lodging, food, and travel is provided at no cost to the patients and their families.

Any individual under the age of 18 suffering from a physical deformity or other condition who is uninsured, underinsured, or suffering financial hardship, can apply to receive free dental care through the Fresh Start website at www.freshstart.org.

Dental professionals can also volunteer at a Dental Clinic by filling out the volunteer application on the Fresh Start website.

Fresh Start Surgical Gifts is a comprehensive healthcare provider and besides Dental Clinics, Fresh Start also provides reconstructive surgeries, laser clinics, and speech therapy clinics.

Since incorporation in 1991, Fresh Start has provided over $20 million worth of free medical services. In total, over 5,500 children have received fresh starts. Over 600 volunteers help Fresh Start run its medical programs each year