A Special Valentine’s Day for The Classic Smile

In honor of a beloved staff member, Clinical Professor and Director of Pre-doctoral Removable Prosthodontics Dr. Ronni Schnell and her husband Richard Short DMD 82 offer free dental care each year on Valentine’s Day to homeless families at their Medford practice, The Classic Smile. Drs. Schnell and Short began this free day of care in 1990, after they were inspired by the program, Doctors With a Heart (DWAH). DWAH is a national non-profit started in 1986 by an Iowa dentist who decided to give back to his local community by treating patients in need, free-of-charge, one day per year.

“Doctors With a Heart has grown to include thousands of doctors across various health care disciplines,” said Dr. Schnell. “We felt that this was our way to give back to our community and participate in a day of giving. We selected this date in memory of a member of our staff who passed away. February 14th—Valentine’s Day—was her birthday.”

Drs. Schnell and Short, along with The Classic Smile associate Shila Sharifi DMD 08, PROS 11 and APEX student Yi Xu DMD 13, provided complimentary dental care to about eight homeless families in need. They worked with the Medford Family Life Education Center (Shelter Inc.) to identify the families they treated and schedule the appointments.

They say working closely with this organization allows them to be organized and efficient so they can treat as many patients as possible. They also support the organization’s mission. Dr. Schnell explains, “This shelter not only provides food and housing, but it is a training facility for women in need of preparation for job placements and a chance to improve their situation. These are women and their children who are actively seeking to better themselves and their lives while moving into independent living.”