If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the before and after pictures of those who have benefited from the Give Back A Smile Program speak volumes.

The program, launched in 1999 through the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), was formed to help heal the effects of domestic violence by providing free consultation and dental work to survivors of the domestic abuse and battery.

Dr. Dina Giesler, an Atlanta dentist who participates in the program, said she encountered the type of patients who typically require the program's assistance before she even got involved.

In her residency program, Dr. Giesler said she would see mothers with rotten teeth bring their children into her clinic for state-aided dental care not available for adults.

She thought help should be available for these women as well, particularly those whose dental problems came at the hands of an abuser.

As a member of the AACD, Dr. Giesler became aware of the program through annual meetings she attended as well as through dental journals to which she subscribed.

She soon realized the benefits of the work the program provided. "It changes people's lives", said Dr. Giesler. "It is an opportunity to give back to people who are so appreciative for the help."

Once patients have gone through a rigorous application process to prove their problems are a result of being battered, Dr. Giesler said they can begin receiving "pro bono" dental procedures that can be worth more than $60,000, as is the case with one of her current patients.

These services often have to include plastic surgery as well.

Dr. Giesler said the work, as with her current patient, had to be done over a longer period of time to allow for her surgery to heal prior to completing her case.

In many cases, the work takes more than a year to complete because patient cannot afford to travel to have the work done and leave their children and their jobs.

A past patient of the program, the motto which is "Restore a smile, restore a life", said her old smile reminded her children of the abuse they had seen their mother suffer at the hands of their father.

That patient's ability to participate in "Give Back a Smile" allowed her children, she said, to not have to relive their mother's abuse just be seeing her smile.

For more information about the "Give Back a Smile"program, how to apply to participate or to find dentists participating in the program, call 1-800-543-9220, or visit www.givebackasmile.com.