Three students win free braces through essay contest

view file photoAlana Saxe, owner of Saxe Orthodontics, holds a Brush Monkey doll while at her 3555 S. Town Center Drive dental clinic in January. Saxe uses the Brush Monkey when visiting valley schools to promote proper dental hygiene. Advertisement

Some people say a smile is worth a thousand words.

Beauty will get you far in life.

These sayings might be clichés -- but orthodontist Alana Saxe, practitioner and owner of Saxe Orthodontic, 3555 S. Town Center Drive, Suite 104, believes both statements to be true.

Saxe, who has been practicing in Las Vegas since 2006, decided this year to offer a break to kids whose parents might not make enough money to pay for braces but don't qualify for government medical assistance. That's when she and her team devised the "I deserve free braces because..." essay contest.

Throughout November, students at Rogich, Lawrence and Fertitta middle schools were encouraged to write a 300-word essay that detailed why they deserve free braces.

More than 500 eighth-graders took part in the competition. Each school had one winner.

According to Saxe, who said she wanted to give back to the community, the average cost for braces is approximately $5,000.

"There are a lot of parents who can't get help but still can't afford to have their kids teeth fixed," she said. "Smiles are important. They affect popularity, careers -- everything."

The winners, Lianne Schiessel, Jenee Williams and Taylor Flessa, were named in mid-December.

Fertitta principal Lisa Campbell said she was thrilled and surprised when Saxe approached her with the idea.

"We are very rarely approached with such an extraordinary gift," she said. "We loved, too, that she linked her reward with student learning. Several of the students actually utilized our after-school writing center to get feedback on their essays."

Campbell said approximately two dozen Fertitta students participated throughout November.

"We are so appreciative of what Dr. Saxe has done," she said.

Saxe said she chose the winners based on their sense of community involvement and demonstrated ability for leadership.

"I didn't want to focus just on academics," she said. "I read every essay that was submitted. What we were looking for was a child who has a spark."

According to Saxe, one of the winners is the daughter of a single mother who has organized rescue items for earthquake-ravaged Haiti; another child comes from a large family where the parents have lost their jobs and home but maintains good grades in honors courses.

"Straight teeth is a gift that lasts a lifetime," Saxe said. "It affects first impressions, self-esteem and professional lives. Our society, whether we want to admit it or not, is very cosmetically oriented."

Saxe said she hopes to hold the competition annually.

"It feels great to be able to change kids lives for the better," she said. "I want kids who work hard, who have a good heart to be rewarded and motivated for a lifetime to keep on the path they are already on. I think that's what the gift of a beautiful smile can do for someone."

Contact Southwest and Spring Valley View reporter Amanda Llewellyn at allewellyn@viewnews.com or 380-4535.