I’ve got an entirely new smile as I write this. Just a few short months ago I had teeth that made me feel self-conscious when I smiled, laughed or talked. However, I stubbornly refused orthodontics for years. I know that braces are a wonderful solution for many people and have evolved from the heavy mouth metal and headgear. I’m far too impatient for what seemed to be minuscule changes that occur over the span of a year or so.
Enter Dr. Robert Branham and his plan. As we reported in the May/June issue, I had a lot of work done that culminated in the placement of temporary veneers and bridges, which instantly improved my smile.
Since then my gums healed to Dr. Branham’s satisfaction. We made an appointment to replace the temporaries with the permanent porcelain, but truth-be-told, I wasn’t in any big hurry to change anything. The temporaries were such a large improvement over my old, oddly spaced teeth that I felt pretty good about leaving things as they were. The compliments alone had me beaming like crazy at everyone and anyone.
But eventually, I forfeited the temporaries I’d come to love, and sat in Dr. Branham’s chair. He and his patient assistant, Lisa Lane, carefully prepped and placed the final dental beauties in my mouth. They removed the temporaries and any remaining bonding material, placed the new materials without bonding them and handed me a mirror so I could see the new pearly whites before they were cemented to my teeth forever.
I was stunned that the new ones looked even brighter and more realistic than the attractive transitory teeth. With my seal of approval they carefully set upon marrying my old teeth to my new porcelain whites. Nearly four hours later my bite had been adjusted to the point it felt better than it had since the trouble with my teeth began 14 years ago, and I had new, whiter teeth – permanently.
The texture of the porcelain was almost as amazing to me as the new look. I kept running my tongue over the veneers, marveling in how much they felt like smooth, just-dentist-cleaned teeth.
While I’ve basked happily in the compliments and loved new slick texture of the teeth, I am most changed by the fact that I can laugh heartily without covering my mouth or forcing my lips together before smiling for a photograph. I feel better about myself and I guess that’s the real point of all of the cosmetic procedures – not the just restoration of appearance but of self-confidence.
Contact: Dr. Branham – 774-0061
Cost: $8,000-$9,000
