Her smile may not shine the brightest, but there was no denying the joyous look on a Port Orchard woman’s face after learning she would receive a life-changing early Christmas gift.

Dec. 5 started out as a typical Monday for 40-year-old Christina Lanham, a medical records technician at the Bremerton Naval Hospital. Throughout her life, Lanham has worked to overcome her impoverished state, providing for herself and two children. She’s done that while living with severe dental health after her pregnancies contributed to a number of problems from infections to missing teeth.

Oral surgeon Sukhdeep Dhaliwal with Kitsap Oral, Maxillofacial, and Dental Implant Surgery said such extreme cases can easily cause money to be the reason why patients don’t come in for care. “Many patients in our community are in critical need of health services, oral services,” he said, “but are unable to access them.”

Dental health is becoming even more of a concern after the COVID pandemic caused many Americans to postpone treatment, which can lead to worsening and prolonged conditions.

It’s reasons like this that helped influence the creation of the Kitsap OMS Smile Again program, which provides a deserving individual with a $50,000 smile makeover at no cost. Dhaliwal said the program takes a big-picture look at its applicants and their compelling stories as they try to find the perfect candidate.

“We want this program to be more than just simply solving one problem for a patient, but instead we want to make a much bigger impact on someone,” he said.

When Lanham walked into the waiting room of the Kitsap OMS Silverdale office, she was informed that out of over 240 applicants, her journey to a renewed smile would start the next day. “It feels great,” she said. “ I was really anxious about it, but I’m feeling really good now.”

Dhaliwal said the selection of Lanham as the first recipient was reflective of her work ethic and how much effort she put into providing for her family and building a new life from the ground up. “When we met with Christina, we were moved by her dedication, tenacity and persistence,” he said. “We are grateful for the opportunity to assist Christina in acquiring the smile she deserves.”

Lanham said she was happy to be receiving the gift. “I’m getting promoted at work, and so I’m going to be the face of the medical records department. It really means a lot,” she said.