A pioneering Dubai clinic is offering its services free to victims of domestic violence as the UAE's first supporter of the popular US charity Give Back a Smile.
The Vilafortuny Laser Centre for Dentistry, Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery has taken on the mission of the philanthropic program to 'restore a life by restoring a smile' by providing free cosmetic dentistry to victims of domestic violence.
Volunteer dentists and laboratory technicians at the clinic on Al Wasl Road have committed to restoring damaged teeth and sometimes minor plastic surgery in the smile zone of survivors of intimate partner violence. Primarily focused upon Dubai, the clinic will also consider cases from a wider area on an individual basis.
Lene Holm, partner at Vilafortuny say: "Survivors know bruises and scars will fade but broken and missing teeth can make it very difficult for them to move on. Vilafortuny has been operating in Dubai for four years and has grown in size with the city. We feel it's time to give something back to the community we have become a part of and feel this is such an incredibly valuable charity that can make a life changing difference to the lives of many. There's nothing else like it here, so we expect there are many victims of domestic violence out there who will take advantage of the scheme."
The percentage of family cases referred to the Personal Status Department at Dubai Courts in 2008 because of violence comprised 1.5 per cent of the total number of family disputes, with 47 reported cases. However, Dubai-based psychotherapist Dr Jared Alden of German Centre for Neurology and Psychiatry in Dubai, explains reporting is a major problem among victims.
Dr Alden said: "The real challenge with domestic violence is that many victims dare not complain to the authorities so it is really difficult to tell how many are actually living this misery. Violence in the home exists in every country and amongst all classes. Many respond with violence as they are grasping for power they think they have lost or are deserved. These people will also use control, through restricting their loved ones from access to others outside the immediate family unit."
Give Back a Smile was founded in 1999 by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and has provided more than US$4 million worth of donated services to survivors of domestic violence. The non-profit group matches domestic violence survivors with dentists who volunteer their services and over 800 practices in the US have signed up for the program.
