Twelve teens were all smiles this summer after Dr. Ara Agopian and his team provided them all with braces – for free.
Agopian owns Orthodontic Centers of California in Granada Hills, and he and two other orthodontists from the practice – Drs. Tamar and Saro – do their “Orthodontics from the Heart” program every year except for those during the pandemic.
This is their fourth year in total, with over 50 low-income teens having been fitted for braces by the center.
The teens are those who do not quality for Denti Cal. They were examined by Agopian and then sent a letter, asking for a letter back as to why they were a good candidate for the free service.
All the work is volunteer – done by the doctors and the center staff for free. Not only are the teens fitted for braces, but Agopian treats them for the amount of years they remain on.
Each case is about $5,000 worth of work.
“We provide orthodontic treatment to kids in the community that have no chance of getting braces – from low income or no income families. For orthodontics, Medical doesn’t approve the majority of cases. My motivation came from reading about the positive effect this procedure has on teens – it can literally change their lives. I feel that we’re so blessed we have to share with those less fortunate,” Agopian told North Valley News.
Orthodontic Centers of California is located at 17745 Chatsworth Street. They can be reached at (818) 366-9200. For more information visit occsmiles.com.
