Mother Teresa once said, “Peace begins with a smile.” When you have a smile that you’re confident to show off, it can make you feel truly at peace in your daily life. Dr. Addy and his colleagues from the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry couldn’t agree more, which is why they are proud to help patients like Stephanie, a patient which Carlsbad Beach Dental determined was more than deserving of a new smile. To learn about her story, keep reading this post from a dentist in Carlsbad below!
What is the Give Back a Smile Program?
Last year, Dr. Addy partnered with Give Back a Smile, a program that connects dentists with survivors of domestic abuse who have suffered from lack of self-confidence and other emotional trauma as a result of their damaged smile. Recently, Dr. Addy, as well as other dentists from the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, made it possible for a patient like Stephanie to get her smile restored free of charge. Today, our practice is highlighting this story.
How Dentists Came Together to Help Stephanie
In August of 2019, Dr. Addy and a team of local dental professionals partnered together to help San Diego native Stephanie achieve the smile of her dreams. After they learned about her tragic story of domestic abuse, they found out that she felt incredibly self-conscious about her damaged smile. She had spent years not smiling in photographs and constantly hiding her smile. She lacked confidence in her daily life and was also unable to eat many of the foods she loved. She needed a full set of implant-retained dentures on both her top and bottom arch. In order to perform this advanced level of care a team of volunteers had to be assembled. This team consisted of Dr. Addy, Dr. William Cho (a periodontist), Dr. Sean Han (a lab tech), Quint Whipple (lab tech) and Dr. Maria Garcia (dental anesthesiologist). Together they worked together to provide the treatment that addressed Stephanie’s needs. By the time the procedure was complete and she got a chance to see her transformation, tears of joy ran down her face. Her life was forever changed in this moment and her confidence was restored. All in all, Dr. Addy and others contributed $50,000 in treatment costs to give Stephanie’s smile back. This team is thankful they had the opportunity to change Stephanie’s life and give her the smile she had always dreamed of.
Why Having a Functional and Beautiful Smile Matters
It’s one thing to have a healthy smile so you can avoid complications with your oral health and diet. But for many patients, it’s also about having a chance to move on from painful experiences of the past. For Stephanie, her full mouth reconstruction wasn’t only meant to be a path towards better oral health. A new smile gives her the ability to move on and find the peace she needs.
At Dr. Addy’s practice, there are many ways to transform your smile for the better. Whether it’s through dental implants, dental bridges, Invisalign®, porcelain veneers, or full/partial dentures, his team can help you restore your smile. Feel free to contact his office today to learn how his expertise can help you or a family member.
About the Author
Dr. Drew Addy earned his dental degree from the University of Southern California. As the son of a dentist, Dr. Addy has always wanted to use science to help others. Dentistry allows him to do that and much more. To learn about his practice’s many restorative treatments, you can contact his office to schedule your next appointment.
