Cindy Bentley is smiling again. After years of holding back smiles due to a missing front tooth, Cindy is again sharing her big, infectious smile with the world.
Cindy, who has been competing as an athlete with Special Olympics since 1970, benefited from the Wisconsin Dental Association’s annual Mission of Mercy event, in which dentists provide free on-site dental care to patients with barriers to dental health access. Thanks to this service, Cindy was able to receive partial dentures that helped give her the confidence to flash her signature smile again.
“Thank you for caring about me and all of the athletes in Special Olympics. You cared so much that you noticed I wasn’t smiling. But because of you, your dental partners and my coach (who I consider as family) – I have my smile back,” Cindy said.
Cindy has spent decades building confidence, in part through her involvement with Special Olympics Wisconsin, where she has been not only an accomplished athlete but also an ambassador for the organization and its mission. Through her community outreach, public speaking events and as a Special Olympics Global Messenger, Cindy has been a true face of Special Olympics Wisconsin – so much so that she has been the recipient of numerous awards and has even been invited to the White House to meet two presidents. Yet, Cindy faced a common obstacle to confidence in recent years when serious dental issues led to her losing a tooth.
Enter the Special Olympics Wisconsin Healthy Athletes program and the Mission of Mercy.
Special Olympics Wisconsin has partnered with the Wisconsin Dental Association for several years now to connect athletes with this fantastic service and make it easier for them to be seen quickly and receive top-notch care at the annual clinics.
As a result, Cindy can thankfully go back to being her smiley self. And that’s a good thing for everyone.