FROM DENTAL HARDSHIPS TO HOPE: MY SMILE JOURNEY 

Little did I know the long-range consequences I’d experience as a result of an accident I had at age 7 in which I knocked out a front baby tooth and damaged the underlying structure of permanent teeth, which had yet to erupt. 

As an adult, that same front permanent tooth required a root canal–a not uncommon occurrence, my dentist informed me, for a tooth which had a history of trauma. The laminate he placed over the tooth (post root canal) to make it blend with the other teeth was near perfect, albeit a bit more greyish.

Fast forward several decades later. Another dentist brought to my attention the swollen gum line of this same tooth. Dental x-rays revealed the root of this tooth was cracked, which was causing infection that was spreading to other teeth. The tooth needed to come out. 

The ideal solution, the endodontist informed me, would be a dental implant. But my case was not so straightforward. An implant was not an option because a significant amount of bone had been destroyed by the infected root, which had also, incidentally, spread to another tooth, necessitating a root canal. 

He recommended removing the tooth with a cracked root, creating a bridge, and covering about 3 teeth on both sides of the removed tooth with crowns/laminates to make them blend better. The concerned look in his eyes and careful explanation of the realistic aesthetic outcome was disconcerting. 

In layman’s terms, his message was, “I’ll give this my best shot, but there’s a good chance this might not look so great. The fake tooth would be hard to blend (i.e., it could look longer than the others because of the gum shrinkage, which was hard to control).

The reality of this sobering aesthetic prognosis was confirmed when the temporary “flipper tooth” they created in conjunction with a lab did not fit well. It was shorter than the adjacent teeth, and I had a pronounced lisp due to gaps between the fake tooth and my gum. 

The endodontist and his dentist wife worked feverishly to try and make it fit but to no avail. As a quick fix, she glued the laminate which had covered the tooth they removed into the space that was now there. She ordered a new temporary, telling me she was going with a different lab this time around. This was not looking good. 

To make matters worse, the entire procedure, which would take place over four to eight months, was extraordinarily expensive, and I didn’t know how I was going to afford it. I told my daughter Priscilla about the situation and asked her to pray for me. She said she would and noted, as casually as if she’d observed, “It’s going to rain today”: 

“Mom, God’s going to provide for you because he knows you need it.”

At work, I told my employer what had happened, and he recommended I see Dr. Guy Lewis, who is a friend of our surgical group. That would be nice, I thought. Unfortunately, there was no way I could afford the expertise of this world-renowned dentist. 

As the official cosmetic dentist for the Houston Rockets, Astros, Dynamo, and Aeros, Dr. Lewis had transformed the smiles of many well-known figures and athletes, including USA Olympic champions and pageant contestants for Miss Texas, Miss Teen Texas, and Miss Hawaiian Tropic. 

However, I decided to set up an appointment with him anyway to get his opinion. In a step of faith, I decided I’d figure out the details later. 

The visit to Dr. Lewis was as reassuring and uplifting as I’d anticipated. They took a multitude of X-rays with their sophisticated equipment. He and his warm, wonderful team worked smoothly.

It was clear that Dr. Lewis was supremely knowledgeable and confident he could give me a beautiful smile of which I’d be proud. And I knew that he could. When the dental plan was emailed to me the next day, my heart sank. Even with the generous professional discount factored in, the cost was three times more than the first dental team’s.

That night, I got down on my knees and prayed. “God, I don’t know how, but please make a way for this to happen.” The next day, a thought popped into my head. I remembered that we have a retirement savings plan through our company to which the doctors in our surgical group contribute. 

I contacted one of our managers, “Can I withdraw from this account for dental expenditures?” to which she replied, “I think you can for medical hardships,” and she provided me with appropriate contact information. 

My heart racing with hope, I called them, was informed this was indeed considered a medical hardship, and within a day, they had a check in the mail for the quote from Dr. Lewis. 

The following week, I paid the quote in full and was sitting in a chair at Dr. Lewis’ to commence my treatment: removal of another tooth, a bone and gum graft, and placement of the first set of temporary veneers, which he and his team fashioned from acrylic in-office at that same appointment. 

He emphasized these were temporary, not nearly as nice as the final set of porcelain crowns, which would be installed in 3 to 4 months. Yet still, he labored over these temporaries like a master sculptor, crafting details to ensure they looked lovely and natural on me.

After healing from the tooth removal, I returned 6 weeks later to take impressions for the final veneers, and two weeks ago, they placed these. Just as he did with the acrylic temporaries, Dr. Lewis was meticulous in shaping the crowns, which was a 4 to 5-hour process. 

The time sped by as he shared riveting anecdotes while fashioning the dental masterpiece which would be mine, including an inspiring story of his daughter, who widowed after just 2 years of marriage, unexpectedly found love again after bumping into her future husband in a tiny London bookstore where they were both on a quest for C.S. Lewis books. 

Ever conscious of my comfort, Dr. Lewis and his team provided 2 blankets and a pillow (he’s hot-natured, so the AC keeps the rooms comfortably cool) while he bantered pleasantly with his staff and me.  

At the close of the visit, I could see Dr. Lewis was pleased with the result. He asked if I would be open to appearing in some of his advertisements. Of course! I was so honored by this. 

That night I got down on my knees again and thanked God. How bleak my future had seemed just several months before. What a glorious gift this journey has been. I am grateful. So very grateful.