Fresno mother of 7 receives free smile makeover from dental professionals

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Thursday, December 24, 2020
Fresno mother of 7 receives free smile makeover from dental professionals
Months ago, Karen Valencia was living with eight teeth and now she's ready to on a new year with a new smile.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno mother is ready to take on the new year with a new smile.

As recently as five months ago, Karen Valencia was living with eight teeth and had not kissed her husband in months.

All that changed when the mother of seven was selected from more than 400 local applicants to receive a smile makeover through the Second Chance Program at Fresno Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and Dental Implant Center.

She received the $50,000 smile makeover for free.

On Tuesday, Valencia received her final surgery, just in time for the holidays.

"It's unbelievable it's new to me, you know, excited happy this is a blessing," Valencia said.

"It's a been a challenging year for the world and what we were able to do and to give her a new smile into the new year. This is going to change her life where she and her seven kids are going to benefit greatly and bringing that sort of happiness in a year like this has just been an amazing experience," said Shannon Barnhart, an oral maxillofacial surgeon.

It's the second year for the center's program, which Valencia says is life-changing.

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33-year-old Erlinda Vargas never spent much time at the dentist growing up and through adulthood. She could never afford it. But around Thanksgiving of 2017, she won a contest for