I had problems with my teeth on an ongoing basis, but I did not want to face the fact that I needed treatment. I didn’t have many of my back teeth, above or below. My idea of myself was pretty low: I didn’t have much confidence or feel that I was very pretty. I couldn’t eat very well either, so my overall health was definitely affected.
I knew Jeff from church and I thought he might be a good person to talk to. I can remember telling Jeff, before he even looked in my mouth, that my teeth were in pretty bad condition. I was sure one of my front teeth needed to come out and couldn’t be saved. To lose a tooth that close to the front made me nervous, and I didn’t know what I was going to do.
Amazingly, he told me my teeth weren’t as bad as I thought they were and gave me two options: Either get them all pulled (but asked if I’d feel comfortable with that) or I could go with partials on the top and bottom. Dr. Jeff was kind and sensitive when talking with me about my teeth. He said he didn’t feel that losing my teeth would have been a great choice, since I’m an amputee. That made me feel very connected with Jeff. I thought it was very kind that he would take that angle, and talk to me in such a personal way. Jeff is a wonderful guy.
I’m very afraid of dentists. What made me want to go in there and sit in that chair was the moment I realized that he had compassion for me, something I had never felt before with a dentist. Even when he was working on my teeth, he was very compassionate. Once the work was done, I really felt good. I had teeth! If I had to lose my teeth, I wouldn’t want to smile at all. They’ve done an excellent job!
If you have been considering having your smile repaired or teeth replaced, have patience. Take time to work through the adjustments, because after all is said and done, it’s so worth it. I’m so glad I did it.
