Contact: Alissa Friedman / OPTIC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(925) 776-1133 x 117 / alissa@optic-cc.org
Ricardo M. Perez/ Cosmetic Dental Spa
(925) 687-2299 / ric@afivestarsmile.com
LOCAL COSMETIC DENTIST SELECTS JOB
TRAINING PARTICIPANTS FOR FREE MAKEOVERS
PLEASANT HILL, Calif., March 22, 2005 – Pleasant Hill Cosmetic
Dentist, Dr. Ricardo Perez, has selected two low-income members of the
community for free “extreme smile makeovers” designed to improve their
confidence and prospects for professional success.
Inspired both by the popularity of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover” program
and by his own experience volunteering with people who are trying to
improve their lives, Dr. Perez has teamed up with OPTIC, Opportunities
for Technology Information Careers, a nonprofit that gives low-income
Contra Costa residents the skills they need to get and keep good jobs.
“Extreme Makeover”
features people receiving personal health
treatments in order to improve their appearance and self confidence.
“I’ve seen what a difference it can make to somebody’s confidence to be
able to smile without worrying about chipped or discolored teeth,”
explains Dr. Perez, who is the owner of Cosmetic Dental Spa in Pleasant
Hill. “But many members of our community cannot afford the cosmetic
dental services that could give them that confidence.”
Like the dentists featured on “Extreme Makeover,” Dr. Perez is a member
of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists. Dr. Perez will be working
in partnership with oral surgeon Dr. Chung Yen of Pleasant Hill, who was
excited to get involved in the project when he heard about the need for
the foundational work that is his specialty.
“It is a shame that the dental insurance provided through Medi-Cal only
pays for extractions and dentures,” says Dr. Yen. “Oral and general
physical health results are much better using modern techniques like
dental implants, to say nothing of the aesthetic improvement.”
OPTIC alumni Janet Brown and Donald Buchanan h