A perfect smile is worth millions and opens many doors.  A smile has magical powers.  A big smile gives the owner of the pearly whites a sense of pride and confidence.

When our daughter was born 11 years ago (almost 12) we were informed that she had cleft palette and would need surgery before turning 1.  That’s a lot to take in when this was your first child, but we also knew that she is special and will succeed in whatever she does.

Some kids born with cleft may also have some dental challenges.  Challenges we never encountered until we met a great dentist in the US.  She had developed an underbite due to her cleft, but were told that it could be addressed somewhat easily.

All she needed to do was to get braces, up and down, and that would correct her bit.

That was more than two years ago, and after being presented with a bill of $8000 (USD) – $5000 after insurance covered their part.  Perhaps not too bad of a price to pay to give her a smile she could be proud of – it’ll last her a life time 🙂

I had noticed that she was not fully confident and she failed to smile on many occasions. It was not her real smile we saw.  She never mentioned if her underbite bothered her, but as she started to grow and mature, it was certainly affecting her confidence.

$5000 and 2.4 years later, and it was finally time to get the braces off.  Day of reckoning and moment of truth.

She had suffered for a long time.  Missed out on some of her favourite snacks, such as popcorn, and the constant dental visits to get the braces tightened.

Getting the braces off was like be released from prison … according to her at least.

The change was phenomenal.  Goodbye underbite and hello Hollywood.

She was over the moon and soooooo proud of her new smile.  Teeth were the same, but the braces had really done an amazing job.  The pain, tears and months of suffering had paid off.  It was a delight to see her beaming of confidence.

We bought a big bag of popcorn, sunflower seeds and chewing gum to celebrate her release.

She hasn’t stopped smiling since, and why should she.  Be proud and show off your smile.