Dental injuries from domestic violence share a common feature: they are visible. A broken tooth, a damaged restoration, a gap in the smile line. These are injuries that survivors carry into every public interaction long after leaving an unsafe situation. Two programs address exactly this, and Christopher Sprout, a dentist in Golden, Colorado, participates in both. Understanding what each program does, and how they differ, makes clear why involvement in one does not replace the other.
Smile Again: Local, Coordinated, Metro Denver
Smile Again is organized by the Metropolitan Denver Dental Foundation, the charitable arm of the Metro Denver Dental Society. It operates in the Denver metro area and connects survivors of domestic abuse with volunteer dentists at participating offices. The care is cost-free and covers restorative work, addressing damage from abuse and neglect that has often gone untreated for an extended period.
The program serves men, women, and children. It is local by design, meaning survivors do not need to navigate a national referral process. Care happens at Denver-area dental offices with dentists who are part of the same professional community as the Metropolitan Denver Dental Society. More than 175 dentists have volunteered through the program, collectively donating over $900,000 in care.
Give Back a Smile: National Scale, Local Delivery
Give Back a Smile is operated by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Charitable Foundation and reaches all 50 states. Unlike Smile Again, this program is specifically focused on cosmetic and restorative dental care for smile-zone injuries sustained through intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or human trafficking. Eligibility requires that the incident occurred at least one year prior, that the applicant is safely away from the abusive situation, and that they have worked with a qualified advocate or therapist.
The national scope means the AACDCF handles coordination and screening, then matches applicants with participating dentists in their geographic area. The program has delivered more than $16 million in donated services and helped more than 1,700 survivors. The national contact line is 800.773.GBAS; applications can be submitted at givebackasmile.com.
How the Two Programs Complement Each Other
The programs are not duplicates. Smile Again casts a broader net locally, serving a wider range of dental needs for abuse survivors in the Denver community. Give Back a Smile operates nationally but with a specific focus on cosmetic restoration for smile-zone injuries and a structured eligibility process. A survivor might be better suited to one program over the other depending on their location, the nature of their dental injuries, and their stage of recovery.
For a dentist participating in both, the combination reflects a commitment to serving survivors at different points in their process and through different access channels. The clinical skills required overlap significantly: cosmetic and restorative dentistry, patient attentiveness, and a care approach that starts with the person before it starts with the treatment plan.
Christopher Sprout’s Participation
Christopher Sprout, DDS, has contributed more than 400 hours of community service, with participation in both programs as a continuing part of his professional life. His clinical background includes cosmetic dentistry, restorative care, and implant prosthetics, and he is a founding member of the Colorado Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He holds advanced credentials through the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies and Fellow status in the Academy of General Dentistry.
Dr. Sprout is based in Golden and practices across the Denver, Colorado area. His involvement in both Smile Again and Give Back a Smile reflects his view that skilled dental care should reach people who are rebuilding, not only those in a position to seek it on their own.
Read more about what the MDDS Smile Again program does for Denver survivors, or see the national reach of Give Back a Smile. Learn more about Christopher Sprout, DDS.