The Source’s Dignity Smiles Program recognized by renowned implant manufacturing company with sizeable gift
During the summer of 2021, Anthony Zorbaugh, Executive Director of The Source, teamed up with ardent supporters of the organization, Vero Beach residents Joanne and Dr. Thomas J. Balshi, who is a Board Certified Prosthodontist (now retired) and Founder of The Institute for Facial Esthetics in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. Joanne Balshi was the primary trustee of Pi Foundation, a 501 C(3) charitable organization that provided over a million dollars in pro bono dental care to needy patients from across the USA.
The timing of the Balshi’s teaming up with the Source was indeed Kismet. Zorbaugh had worked steadily to help benefit qualified Source members, graduates of the Dining with Dignity Program, to land a job. These individuals were trained and ready to apply for a job and make a respectable income, but were deterred in doing so due to their dental issues that affected their appearance and ability to get hired. With Dr. Balshi’s expertise in restorative dentistry, and his connections as a mentor and consultant to prominent dentists in and around Indian River County, the Dignity Smiles program was launched and has changed all of that. To date, the program has enlisted the partnership of nine well established area dentists. Along with their expert staff, they have treated the dental issues of qualified Source members with all associated costs covered by donations, fundraising and gifts to the Dignity Smiles program.
One such gift, costly implant products valued in the amount of $100,000, has been received from Nobel Biocare (headquartered in Yorba Linda, California), part of Nobel Industries founded by Alfred Nobel and the oldest and most renowned implant manufacturing company in America.
Dr. Balshi, one of the pioneers of implant dentistry in the United States, spent four decades of his career working with Nobel Biocare and restoring smiles with their sophisticated dental implant products. It was natural that he would want to marry the company to the Dignity Smiles program, allowing patients to be treated with state-of-the-art implant technology and to enjoy longevity with their brand new smiles. Nobel responded not only with extraordinary generosity but with a willingness to dispense the products as needed until the entirety of the gift has been consumed.
Thanks to Nobel Biocare in California and Alex DeCastro, the Southeast Regional Manager for Nobel, as well as the introduction of Dignity Smiles by Joanne and Dr. Tom Balshi, Dignity Smiles allows The Source members to smile again. It helps change their mental and physical health, allows them to show their inner self worth and with proper dentistry, be confident and enjoy a life-changing experience. Since its inception in 2021, a total of 12 member patients have been served with new smiles. That is something for all of us to smile about. For more information visit www.Iamthesource.org or call Anthony Zorbaugh at 772-564-0202.
Treasure Coast Business is a news service and magazine published in print, via e-newsletter and online at tcbusiness.com by Indian River Media Group. For more information or to report news email news@indianrivermedia.com