It's another busy day of stacked appointments. The little building on Wells Avenue, now “Smile Restore”, attracts folks in pain from as far away as Winnemucca. Dr. Georgene Chase is a dentist in demand. As she told us, "We're here to catch people that just fall through the cracks."
That is Wilda Christopher's story. When her dental surgery at Smile Restore was over, she told us she was “Just getting on track with life, rebuilding myself. I had a couple of rough years and now I'm just working really hard."
It's her first visit to Smile Restore. No one else would fix her teeth for what she could afford to pay. As she told us, "Everywhere else I would got that accepts Medicaid or payments, a lot of the places only wanted to pull my teeth out...and I'm only 25 years old." As for what patients pay at Smile Restore, it starts from a very low number...sometimes it's free.
If ever there's a field where a little care prevents a lot of trouble, its dentistry. That's why folks working through addictions who are not taking care of their teeth need a lot of help. They are Dr. Chase's more frequent customers. As she told us, "When a person's in pain, they're going to go back to what makes them have no pain. We want to help them on the road to being recovered."
Putting a smile back on all faces, by getting folks the dental care they need but can't afford. Where would Wilda be without this place? As she told us, “With a hurt mouth!"
Does Dr. Chase ever look at the time and cost and wonder, ‘What did I get into here?' She told us, "My mother asked me the other day why I like being broke. She said 'With your education and experience, you shouldn't be broke." The ironic part of the story? It was her mom that set her on this path. "She started me walking for the March of Dimes when I was 6, and I said 'Did you expect to produce anything other than a philanthropist?'”
All of Dr. Chase's patients come from referrals...from charities, churches and other dentists. She doesn't have a website up yet, but is accepting donations, and looking for other dentists to volunteer their time at Smile Restore. You can call her at this number: (775) 800-1051.
