How A Hero Got A Total Smile Makeover
After returning from Afghanistan in 2005, retired Army 1st Sergeant, T.C. McClish came to Justice Dental in Lexington, Kentucky. He said that he wanted to get a total Smile Makeover! He told the team that even though he had braved many a perilous challenge serving our country in places like Afghanistan, the most challenging thing for him was simply talking to people.
Just like T.C. we have people come into the dental office that are amazing, kind, intelligent, successful individuals that simply lack personal confidence, simply because they are embarrassed about their teeth. It is so common, it is literally a daily occurrence in the office. One of the most rewarding things we get to do here at Justice Dental is to radically invest in the overall way people view themselves. The incredible feeling they have when their smile is transformed is life changing!
The team at Justice Dental met with T.C. to hear his concerns and began to map out a step-by-step plan to create the end result that T.C. wanted which he said was a “Smile that says WOW”! Because his case was so complex, Dr. Laura Justice who is a Fellow in the Academy Of Cosmetic Dentistry evaluated T.C. and then recruited the right team members to give to help him become the best version of himself. She encouraged him to allow her to guide him through this challenging journey. He knew that he would have to commit to a process that was going to require some patience on his part.
The plan was laid out and it included the following services:
- Extracted primary retained tooth, permanent tooth was missing
- Gum/perio therapy to get the gums healthy
- Orthodontic movement/ braces, moving teeth into right position
- Gingivectomy, recontoured gum levels
- Placed a dental implant to replace congenitally missing permanent tooth
- A mixture of crowns and porcelain veneers to restore to the final outcome
The first thing Dr. Justice did after they took all his records and get a CT Scan, was to create a Virtual Smile design to show T.C. what his finished smile would look like. He looked at the imaged smile and literally did not believe that could be achieved based on where he was at the time he came into the dental office. The guys at the Lexington State Police could not believe it either! Dr. Justice assured him, if he would follow the plan, they could achieve that WOW Smile (or bling as he called it).
The first appointment was scheduled and T.C. came in and had his primary retained tooth extraction completed. Then on his next few visits, he saw Dr. Horn to get gum and periodontal therapy to get his gums healthy. At this stage, he received orthodontic braces to move his teeth into the correct position. In addition, he received what is called a Gingivectomy to re-contour his gum levels. Once that healed he came in for a dental implant, similar to what a lot of patients get before receiving a denture.
At this point, T.C. was ready for his bling! This consisted of a mixture of dental crowns and porcelain veneers. Once a shade was selected for how bright he wanted his smile to be, his existing teeth were scanned using a high-tech scanner and the dental crowns were fabricated right there in the office by the on-site dental lab technician. Then the porcelain veneers were crafted specifically to match his unique facial structure. Dr. Justice calls this “facially generated design”. Finally T.C. received his porcelain veneers and the treatment was complete.
The lengthy step-by-step plan had been followed meticulously and executed flawlessly. The entire team had skillfully crafted an amazing Smile Makeover. When they handed him the mirror to see the final result, he was literally speechless! Once he gained his military trained composure, he simply said “Wow! This is a life changing event”. Watch his testimonial below to hear how the transformation changed everything for his confidence!
If this kind of Smile Makeover is something you have always imagined for yourself, but just didn’t know where to start or if it were even possible, the answer is yes. Schedule an appointment today to find out how this change your life forever.