max Silver

Silver tongued

a dental student uses his comedic skills to alleviate isolation and depression in kids

if all dentists were as engaging, quirky and fun as max Silver, kids worldwide would be lining up around the block for their annual checkups.

What makes Silver so uniquely appealing to children? a puppeteer with a chameleon voice, Silver effortlessly imitates such beloved Disney and Sesame Street cartoon characters as Elmo, mickey mouse, and the cookie monster, as well as Gru from Despicable Me and Fireman Sam from the British animated children’s TV series. as a third-year student at the university of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry, Silver hasn’t had much opportunity (especially with cOViD-19 restrictions) to test his mimicry on young patients, but he does have a growing fan club.

Silver has used his artful impersonations for the greater good, helping kids navigate the jarring emotional potholes of cOViD-19. it started a year ago, when it became obvious that life as we knew it was over due to cOViD-19 prevention measures. a friend connected with Silver to ask him if he would call his son, who was growing ever-more despondent over the strain of lockdown. could Silver “raise the boy’s spirits” by imitating one of his favourite characters? Silver connected with the youngster over Zoom, pretending to be Elmo. The boy “just loved it,” Silver recalls. “a light bulb went off and i thought, ‘why don’t i do this for more kids?’” Thus was born callsforKids. “children are going through rough times and a fun call really brightens up their day,” says Silver, adding that every phone call is personalized for each child.

Silver created a callsforKids website, which showcases short sample blurbs of various cartoon characters, from Bert and Ernie to count von count, Kermit and mickey mouse. a portal allows parents to book five or 15 minute sessions via the phone, Zoom or Facetime. any topic is up for grabs—parents can suggest one that might be causing a bit of conflict in the home—and Elmo might come on the phone to offer some Sesame Street wisdom about the benefits of, say, eating salad. Often, children listen to someone like Elmo rather than their parents, says Silver, viewing the fluffy, scruffy, red imp as a friend. “Kids trust Elmo because they see him as someone who’s their own age.”

On other occasions, count von count might call a child to congratulate him on his new bicycle that he might be reluctant to ride. One of Silver’s puppets might join a child’s virtual Zoom birthday party and charm all the young guests (and parents). callsforKids doubles as a fundraiser, with Silver donating the money raised from calls to children to various charities and children’s hospitals. No fee is charged for underprivileged children. “i’ve done calls with children in hospitals who are dealing with chronic illnesses,” he says. “For such children, even just the smallest moment of happiness amongst days and months of darkness is really special for them.” Often, says Silver, the parents will call him in tears afterwards and say, “i haven’t seen them smile or laugh like that in a long time.”

Sliver’s penchant for impersonations first revealed itself when he was a youngster, earning him the title of class clown as he mimicked the voices of cartoon characters. a more “analytical, scientific side” eventually emerged, and Silver went on to study biomedical sciences at the university of Guelph, developing a special affinity for genetics and molecular biology. Silver combined fun with studying, taking on a job as a varsity sports announcer. Eventually, his vocal abilities netted him an acting agent and voice-over bookings for a host of businesses ranging from rogers to Disney and peoples Jewellers.

Silver’s transition to dentistry following his science degree was inspired by his mother, Dr. Simi Silver, who runs a dental practice in Ottawa. he wasn’t simply following in maternal footsteps, however. The social side of dentistry appealed to his gregarious nature, along with its many facets: social, scientific, medical and creative—with communications at its central core. “it just works for me,” Silver says.

Silver will graduate next year from u of T’s dentistry faculty. The past 12 months, he admits, have been a struggle, with classes and lectures being held online as part of u of T’s cOViD-19 protocol. clinical work on live patients is being limited, with only two students in a room at a time along with one supervisor. Even this has proved challenging, with patients being reluctant to come in for dental care due to coronavirus concerns. callsforKids has been a way for the budding dentist to make cOViD-19 a little more tolerable not only for youngsters, who often don’t have the words to express their confusion over things like missing school or hanging out with friends, but Silver himself. “cOViD has taught me to truly cherish relationships, whether that be with your family, your friends, or your patients.”

“COVID has taught me to truly cherish relationships, whether that be with your family, your friends, or your patients,” says Max Silver, a dental student at the University of Toronto