The Virginia Brown Community Orthodontic Partnership was established in 1997 as a community-based orthodontic program to help children from families who could not afford the full cost of braces. The program aims to provide orthodontic treatment to children whose self-esteem is impacted by having crooked teeth.
Now known as Smiles Change Lives (SCL), the program has grown into an organization with close to 750 orthodontists participating in the program across the United States and parts of Canada.
To date, nearly 20,000 children nationwide have received life-changing orthodontic treatment through SCL. This is due to SCL’s unique model, which matches qualified children, who need orthodontic treatment, with caring orthodontists willing to provide such treatment.
Each family must agree to abide by the program’s rules and contribute a set amount to SCL to be approved for the program. SCL uses these funds to recruit more doctors willing to treat more children. In this way, each family truly “pays it forward” – by helping their own child, they are making it possible for the next child to be treated as well. Since inception, more than 98% of the children approved for SCL have successfully completed treatment.
Each year, SCL publishes an annual report. This gives an opportunity to share with others highlights and accomplishments throughout the past year. We are grateful for everyone who partners with us to change the lives of so many children. This is their story as much as it is ours. To see past issues of the SCL Gratitude Report, go to our archive page. 
Our Purpose
Smiles Change Lives provides access to life-changing orthodontic treatment for children from families that cannot afford the full cost of braces. Based in Kansas City, the program has treated more than 20,000 children since 1997. With its origin as the Virginia Brown Community Orthodontic Partnership, Smiles Change Lives has emerged as the nation’s leader in providing access to orthodontic care for qualified youth.