22
There is a proverb that reads, ‘If you see
a friend without a smile, give him one of
yours.’ Local dentist, Dr. Michael Gillespie,
is living up to that proverb, to say the
least. As part of celebrating his 25th
year in dentistry, Dr. Gillespie launched
PROJECT SMILE, a community giveback
program. “I just wanted to show appreciation.
We asked the community, we put it out on social media, we
asked our patients, anybody that we came in contact with, to
submit names of a deserving person in the community who
could benefit from a smile makeover,” says Dr. Gillespie. Nearly
30 names were submitted. Dr. Gillespie and his staff found it
incredibly difficult to narrow down the selection to just one.
They are currently wrapping up 3 successful smile makeovers.
Mike Tramel, a 65-year-old Air Force veteran, is one of the
lucky recipients of a smile makeover with Project Smile. After
suffering from various dental issues for many years, Mike
was in need of an entire new set of teeth. David McCracken,
a decorated veteran and long-time friend and patient of Dr.
Gillespie, nominated Mike. Dr. Gillespie knew Mike was a great
candidate from the start. “I had an opportunity to meet Mike,
and we talked about his needs. We felt like it was something we
could do that could make a big difference for him. We evaluated
his dental condition, and of number one importance was his
health. We want to get people to a certain level of health, so
they can have proper nutrition. That’s kind of the gateway to
everything. A smile is important too. It’s one of the first things
we notice about other people. Not only is a smile a sign of
health, but also it’s a social asset. We need it to feel confident
so we can interact with our friends, family, and people in our
community,” says Dr. Gillespie. Mike can certainly attest to the
effects of dental problems and confidence. “I was ashamed to
even walk around outside,” he says.
Mike used to consider a trip to the dentist a “death sentence,”
but Dr. Gillespie and his friendly and accommodating staff were
Front: Dr. Michael Gillespie
Back: Mike Tramel,Veteran & Patient,
/smokymtneye.com