Four Inane Questions with Forever Smiles Foundation’s Dr. Robert Weiss and Dr. Patrick Christopher
Photo Courtesy of Forever Smiles Foundation
The stats are staggering: Every three minutes, a child is born with a cleft lip or palate somewhere in the world. One in 700 children born with those disfigurements go without proper treatment due to financial and geographical barriers.
When Kansas City oral and maxillofacial surgeons Robert Weiss and Patrick Christopher saw those disconcerting stats, they decided to do something about it. The duo started a charity—the Forever Smiles Foundation—to provide complimentary high-quality surgical interventions and comprehensive treatment for individuals with cleft lip, cleft palate, and other craniofacial differences.
Photo Courtesy of Forever Smiles Foundation
While this unique charity has roots in KC and helps serve the Midwest, the team’s mission is also global-centric. Both surgeons take three trips to Africa yearly, offering full surgical, social, and follow-up services. “Our patients will see the same doctors throughout their treatments,” says Dr. Weiss. “That amazing and important continuity of care is unprecedented.”
The small, but mighty organization has found a groundswell of support over the last year. “Cleft patients require an average of six surgeries before their teen years,” adds Dr. Christopher. “So, we have a long-term goal to start a fellowship program to help train and recruit other surgeons here locally.”
Photo Courtesy of Forever Smiles Foundation
We caught up with the super-specialist docs—DDS! MD!—to bombard them with our bonkers questionnaire. Naturally, they grinned all the way through their answers. Bless.
The Pitch: If you were a cheese, which cheese would you be?
Dr. Robert Weiss: I’d have to be an aged sharp cheddar—classic and reliable, yet with a slight edge. Not one to stand out at a party, but never to be left off the classic charcuterie board! I’m also quite an old soul, hence the aged.
Dr. Patrick Christopher: I’d be a vegan cheese—daiya cheese to be exact because it’s delicious and I am also very lactose intolerant.
You’re forced to give a TED Talk on the fly. Other than dentistry, what riveting topic could you successfully expound upon for 20 minutes?
Dr. Weiss: I could certainly ramble on for 20 (or 200) minutes about bird hunting!
Out of all the teeth in the human mouth, what’s your favorite tooth?
Dr. Christopher: It’s the central incisor. It is a big part of your smile and I genuinely love a good smile.
What’s the most useless bit of dentistry trivia or dentistry fun fact you know?
Photo Courtesy of Forever Smiles Foundation
Dr. Christopher: Newborn babies don’t have cavity-causing bacteria. Germs are typically transmitted from mom to baby.
Dr. Weiss: There are 20 primary (baby) teeth and 32 permanent teeth. The third molars are often called “wisdom teeth” and they were coined this nickname because they erupt during late teenage/early adulthood years. Thus, at times whenthose individuals are presumed to be acquiring “wisdom.” Not so sure about that…
Finish this sentence—I own way, way too many…
Dr. Weiss: Cowboy boots! A tribute to doing my surgical residency in Texas, I’ve worn cowboy boots in the operating room for over a decade. It’s become one of my funny trademarks in KC where “boots in the OR” is a bit of a rarity.
Dr. Christopher: Suits. I am a firm believer in first impressions and I think a well-tailored suit speaks volumes in regard to confidence, competence, attention to detail, commitment to quality, professionalism, etc.
As a surgeon, repairing a cleft lip requires me to have those same qualities—and I just love that parallel.
