When appearances are important in your business, it only makes sense that you put your best foot forward. At least that’s what Lisa Bouzide of Troy, Michigan believes.
“I am a salon owner and a cosmetologist,” said Lisa. “My husband and I are also in the wellness industry. It makes sense that appearance plays a big role in my daily life.”
But it hasn’t always been that way. From a very early age, Lisa was insecure with her smile. In her early twenties, she had cosmetic bonding on the sides of her four front teeth to help fill the gaps. While this was a satisfactory fix, her dentist explained that without the protection of a bite guard at night, she’d eventually grind the enhancements off and create more problems than just the gaps.
“At this time I had three young, energetic children,” said Lisa, “so I chose not to invest in the bite guard. I rationalized that it was not as important as my dentist thought. But now I look back at my before-and-after pictures and realize that not only did my grinding shave my teeth right down to an angle but it introduced pain and other issues. I actually had two teeth that would periodically fall out. Would you believe that I would glue them back in—with super glue? I did this for some time as I was afraid to address the real problem.”
It took an embarrassing incident of going to a wellness trade show with her husband—and leaving her two teeth at home—for Lisa to come to terms with the condition of her mouth. Upon her return she made a call to her dentist.
“As always, my dentist Dr. Michael Singleton greeted me with a smile and asked how he could help me. I showed him the missing teeth and explained that I no longer felt comfortable with my smile. What happened next was the ‘transformation of Lisa.’”
Dr. Singleton had the answers Lisa was looking for. She put her embarrassment aside, and discussed in detail over the next two appointments the recommended procedures .
“This actually was a lot of fun,” said Lisa. “I felt like I was building a shiny new car! Some patience was needed, however, as I had to start with two implants and let them heal before the makeover began. I was a little nervous when Dr. Singleton explained what he had to do, yet he assured me that I would have little discomfort. This proved to be true.”
“After the implants healed, it was time to start the fun stuff,” said Lisa. “I remember waking up early the morning of the appointment and was so excited to get started. All fears of pain or worry left me that morning—nothing but excitement! I had all the upper teeth done in one day and had temporaries until my permanent teeth were created. Dr. Singleton finished with a laser contouring of my gum tissue to give me a perfect smile.”
Lisa’s experience certainly changed her level of confidence. “I had such a hang up with my teeth,” she said. But no longer do I shield my smile or only smile half-way. Now, I cant help but throw out a big cheesy smile with confidence. Of course, my family and friends say my smile is amazing, but when a perfect stranger walks up and says, “you have the most beautiful teeth,’ I’m still amazed.”
Lisa credits her “wonderful” dentist, Dr. Singleton, his staff, and Arrowhead Dental Laboratory for her smile success. “They took the necessary time with me and had the patience to create my perfect smile. I’m so happy with my smile now, and yes, I wear my bite guard every night!”
