Palo Alto Orthodontist Dr. Eric Wu Welcomes His First Three Patients to the Medpeninsula Chapter of the Smile for a Lifetime Orthodontic Foundation

PALO ALTO, CA, May 26, 2013 (Press-News.org) Here's some WUnderful news: Wu Orthodontics is proud to announce the first three recipients of orthodontic scholarships for the Smile for a Lifetime Medpeninsula chapter! Sara Noriega was the first, followed by brother and sister recipients Elixua and Yeltzin Mendoza. You can check out a video on Dr. Wu's YouTube channel of Sara's special moment when she found out she would receive free orthodontic treatment.

Who We Are

Smile for a Lifetime Midpeninsula is a charitable, 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides orthodontic scholarships to individuals who may not otherwise have the opportunity to acquire assistance. We aim to reach individuals with financial challenges, special situations, and orthodontic needs.

Nationally, Smile for a Lifetime (S4L) provides scholarships for orthodontic care for hundreds of patients each year, and has participating orthodontists throughout the US. Each chapter has its own Board of Directors who choose the patients to be treated by the Foundation. Click the "Donate" button to make a financial contribution to S4L.

Participation Guidelines

The Smile for a Lifetime program isn't for everyone but if you don't apply you'll never know! The guidelines in brief are as follows:

- Two letters of recommendation. (Letters should be from a teacher, community leader, guidance counselor, dentist, etc. and not be from family members).

- Two 5X7 photos of applicant. One photo should be a head shot showing a full smile and the teeth and one photo should show only the applicant's teeth.

- Must complete answers for all the questions on the application and applicants must provide a copy of the applicant's last report card or school transcript.

- Applicants must agree to follow the treatment plan and demonstrate the ability and commitment to make all appointments on time and agree to see their dentist every six months.

- Must have a family income of no more than 200% percent of poverty level.

- Must be between the ages of 11 and 17, be a resident of the Peninsula and have a significant aesthetic need for braces.

- Must demonstrate current volunteer involvement in the community and complete 40 hours of community service over the course of treatment.

In addition to the application, letters of reference and pictures, applicants have the option to submit a video (i.e. YouTube) to s4lwuortho@gmail.com about why you want to be offered an orthodontic scholarship.

Our Board of Directors meets quarterly to make their selections. Please note that Dr. Eric Wu and staff do not serve on the Board of Directors or choose the recipients of the orthodontic scholarships. Remember, applications that are incomplete or do not meet the criteria above will not be voted on by our Board of Directors!

It's Up to You!

There's a "smile for a lifetime" with your name on it and there's never been an opportunity like this before! Check us out on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/smileforalifetimemidpeninsula or look for more information on Dr. Wu's website at http://wuortho.com/.

Braces and Invisalign in Palo Alto, CA by orthodontist Dr. Eric Wu. Providing leading-edge orthodontic care for children, teens, and adults. To schedule a free exam, visit http://wuortho.com or call (650) 322-0288 or email office@wuortho.com.