Community brief

Smile makeover

Gabriela Alvarez, 54, of San Jose has a brand-new smile, courtesy of two local oral surgeons. On Nov. 17, Alvarez received a permanent set of teeth from Robert Beech, DDS, and John Reid, DMD, of Beech and Reid Oral and Dental Implant Surgery through the surgery’s Second Chance program. Alvarez underwent full-arch restoration, a procedure typically costing $50,000, free of charge.

Alvarez was chosen from applicants from Sunnyvale, Milpitas and San Jose, where the surgery has offices. The mother of three was never kissed during her previous marriage because of her dental condition. The housecleaner said she rarely brushed her teeth as a child growing up in Colotlán, Jalisco Mexico, as her family couldn’t afford essentials like a toothbrush.

In her application, Alvarez wrote, “I want to feel like a complete woman again and feel like what I see in the mirror makes me happy.”

“Gabriela has been through a great deal and we are thrilled for her to begin this life-changing journey of health and happiness,” Beech said in a statement. “It brings us great joy to be able to provide this program to our community and give back to someone who is truly in need.

“We wanted to provide a program to locals who are really struggling right now with their oral health and to support our community during the pandemic, where people may be struggling to afford dental care or have lost their benefits,” Beech added. “When a person has missing or decaying teeth, it not only affects their physical health but also their overall well-being.”