Looking stunning as a brunette again, former “;Baywatch Hawaii”; and “;North Shore”; star Brooke Burns was back in Honolulu last week to support the nonprofit organization Give Back a Smile. Now serving as its spokesperson, Burns patiently finished a morning of interviews at the Hilton Hawaiian Village before heading out for a stand-up paddling session with buddy Brian Keaulana.

“;Being back in Hawaii is heavenly,”; said the Los Angeles-based actress, who has guest starred in “;Miss Guided,”; “;CSI: Miami”; and “;Pepper Dennis,”; and co-hosted the Fox game show “;Hole in the Wall”; since her Hawaii gigs. “;Hawaii has always been a sanctuary of peace and tranquility and healing.”;

The partnership with Give Back a Smile began when Burns and her dentist, Bill Dorfman (whose skills have been highlighted on “;Extreme Makeover”; and other shows) discussed the most effective ways to impact people's lives. Give Back a Smile helps those with broken or missing teeth resulting from domestic abuse. Dentists like Dorfman and Mickey Bernstein of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry donate their time to do what these patients need to alleviate their shame and embarrassment and start over.

“;The first thing you notice about people is their smile,”; said Dorfman. Improving it “;is the final step in getting these people back into the work force and living normal lives. They literally break down and cry in your arms.”;

While on Oahu, they hoped to raise awareness to get more local dentists involved, and encourage survivors of domestic abuse to seek help. But there are criteria for receiving this largesse: The damage must be the result of the abusive relationship. In addition, the candidate must have been out of that relationship for at least one year.

Now 10 years old, Give Back a Smile is getting a nice publicity boost from the effervescent Burns, with her natural beauty and (of course) exquisite smile. Having recovered from a diving accident that broke her neck several years ago, she's busy parenting her 8-year-old daughter, acting, writing a comedy for the big screen and doing charity work.

Learn more about helping domestic abuse victims rebuild their lives at www.givebackasmile.com, or call 800-773-4227 ...

AS A CONSCIOUS but not obsessive “;Lost”; fan with a weakness for intellectual men (on screen and in real life), I feel compelled to share that Daniel Faraday's death didn't stir a bit of emotion in me. Am I the only one who thought the physicist was a whiny mama's boy who needed a barber? I don't mean to insult talented actor Jeremy Davies (did you know he played Charles Manson in the 2004 version of “;Helter Skelter”;?), but there are so many other riveting yet unresolved story lines to pursue. Then again, his popularity went up 220 percent on IMDb's STARmeter this week, so what do I know?

Which brings us to the Season 5 finale next week. “;We want to leave a lot of things up in the air,”; executive producer Carlton Cuse told TV Guide this week. (You're kidding!) Apparently, we'll find out what happened to Rose and Bernard (if you noticed, they've been gone) and the Honolulu-based canine Vincent. We'll also learn how Hurley escaped from his jail cell to catch the flight to the island. I asked for help with my last story before the finale, which will be full of information from obsessive “;Lost”; fan, blogger and podcaster Ryan Ozawa. Stay tuned.