Dr. Greg Hurtado
Dr. Greg Hurtado
If you get your teeth whitened at Hurtado Dental between now and June, you will help raise money for children here in Hawaii and throughout the world. The Waipahu-based practice of Dr. Greg Hurtado is participating in the Smiles for Life Campaign, which raises funds for a variety of organizations that serve ill, disabled or disadvantaged children.
“Everybody wins,” Hurtado says of the campaign. “(Patients) are going to look better, they are going to feel better and they would be doing it for a great cause … None of the money goes to the dentists.”
The campaign is run through the Crown Council, an alliance of dentists who strive to improve their own practices as well as the communities around them.
“(Smiles for Life) is one of the big programs that we do to generate the money so we can give back,” Hurtado explains.
All proceeds that Hurtado Dental generates from sales of its home whitening kits during this time will benefit the campaign. Each participating dentist selects a local charity. Half of the money from the whitening campaign goes toward their selected charity, while the other half goes to the Smiles for Life Foundation, which distributes the funds to a range of groups nationally and internationally.
Over the eight years that Hurtado’s office has been involved with Smiles for Life, it has raised about $27,000. This year, Hurtado hopes to raise more than ever before, and has set a monetary goal at a lofty $15,000. He and his team have chosen to donate their proceeds to nonprofit Good Beginnings Alliance.
“We are very happy with whom we are partnering this year,” he says. “(Good Beginnings Alliance) focuses on speaking out for Hawaii’s children, whether it be from an educational or health platform.”
One of Hurtado’s favorite parts of Smiles for Life over the years has been attending an annual Crown Council event. There, dentists get to hear about where the funds they helped to raise have gone – and all of the children throughout the world who have benefitted. Some of the funds, for example, have gone as far as the Dominican Republic toward community and economic development programs.
As a part of the campaign, Hurtado Dental will offer a discount for the teeth whitening kit. Normally $300, the kits will be available at $149 through June. Each whitening tray will be customized for each individual patient. Plus, there is no additional charge for the appointment.
And anybody is welcome to participate, whether or not you’re a regular patient of Hurtado’s. “We are trying to get as many people as we can, because it only benefits them and others,” Hurtado says.
To schedule your appointment, call 678-3000 or visit hurtadodental.com.
