According to Tim Newton “A comment on someone’s appearance can create a lasting negative impact on how young people feel about themselves, which not only affects their self-esteem but also how they interact with others for years to come”.
This was certainly the case for the winner of this year’s competition - Linsay Graham. Growing up, this young woman from West Lothian in Scotland found very little to smile about. Her shy nature and unease about her crooked teeth emerged at an early age, and was exacerbated by the tragic loss of her brother at only 15 years old. This trauma led to the teenager suffering from extreme anxiety, to the extent that she attended a special unit designed to help young people. Fearful every time she was separated from her family, Linsay’s sense of unrest was intensified by her feeling that everyone she met was talking about her and judging her because of the appearance of her overcrowded and uneven teeth.
An especially insensitive comment about her teeth by a friend, gave Linsay the impetus to embark on orthodontic treatment, hopeful that this would be the catalyst she needed to straighten out her life, as well as her teeth. However just walking into the orthodontic practice meant overcoming considerable anxiety, but as she built up trust in her orthodontic specialist, Mustafa Abdel Ellah Mustafa at Sayegh & Partners Orthodontics in Musselborough, Scotland she slowly gained in confidence. More importantly, as soon as she began to see the incredible results he was achieving in her mouth, she has never looked back.
As Linsay points out, her crooked teeth were never just an aesthetic issue. “Getting braces changed more than just my appearance. My whole outlook on life changed”. The positivity her new look has given her has changed every aspect of her life. She is now going to university to study psychology; something the girl once too fearful to leave the house could never have imagined doing. For a girl who never used to smile, Linsay now can’t stop beaming.
Linsay’s inspiring story has now won her more than admiration for the way she faced up to her demons. It has also won her first prize and a chance to broaden her horizons thanks to a £750 travel grant from Ormco.
Professor Tim Newton, commented further on the psychological impact of her treatment: “Linsay has faced many difficulties in her young life, which led to her losing confidence in herself. A beautiful smile played a large part in her recovery, allowing her to face the world with greater self-assurance.” Whilst journalist Sara Wallis admired her story: “Linsay battled depression and anxiety in her teens and always felt insecure about the way her mouth looked. Since her orthodontic treatment her life has changed dramatically and she now has a brighter future ahead of her.”
Beating the Odds
Before Helen Drew had orthodontic treatment her life was dominated by bullies, depression and a constant battle to try and make friends. It is a part of her life she would rather forget. However she says that the moment she met her orthodontist she knew that her life was going to change for the better.
After three months of orthodontic treatment she allowed herself her first “open mouth smile photo” in 21 years. Over half way through the treatment and her life had changed so much she had the confidence to go away on her first girly holiday. By the end of her treatment she applied and succeeded in winning an amazing job and had enough self-esteem to engage with new people for the first time.
Helen’s experience is not an isolated one. A team of hospital based clinicians who primarily treat children with malaligned teeth and jaw bone deficiencies (malocclusion) recently conducted a study investigating the relationship between being bullied and the presence of a malocclusion, and its effect on an individual’s self-esteem. The key findings of the study revealed that almost 13 per cent of adolescents aged between 10-14 years examined for orthodontic treatment had been bullied.
The findings of this study show for the first time that there is clear link between being bullied and the presence of ‘sticking out teeth’ (malocclusion). More importantly the negative impact on a child’s psychological status was reported. It is clear that being bullied can have both short-term and long-term effects on physiological and psychological well-being.
One of the study’s authors, Professor Tim Newton was also a judge in the British Orthodontic Society’s Against The Odds Award. Commenting on Helen’s case he said: “Helen’s transformation is remarkable, and her orthodontic treatment has given her the confidence to lead a fulfilling social and work life.” Whilst another of the judges, journalist Sara Wallis added “Bullies made Helen’s life a nightmare and she spent many years suffering from depression; but her new smile has given her the confidence she needed to finally enjoy her life.”
With her days of “begging to be beautiful” behind her (as she wrote in her competition entry) Helen has beaten the odds and has been awarded a top of the range Sonicare sonic toothbrush. Her orthodontic specialist Fiona Smith of The Beeches Orthodontic Practice in Preston, Lancashire has been commended, however Helen herself offered the ultimate accolade: “The day the braces came off I cried and now I feel amazing and in fact, cannot stop smiling! What my orthodontist did was improve my quality of life and I cannot think of anyone who deserves this award more!”
Embracing life
“After suffering from some major setbacks in her life, including two serious accidents, Rachel Harvey struggled with a lack of confidence. However, she feels orthodontic treatment has vastly improved her life and now she can’t stop smiling”. Her story impressed journalist Sara Wallis and has now won her a runner up prize in the BOS’ Against the Odds competition. Here she tells the story of the award winning treatment which restored her confidence along with her mouth:
“My name is Rachel Harvey, and I'm going to share my story with you, about how my teeth played a huge part in changing my life and how I see things differently now. When I was 6 years old I had an accident which resulted in four of my top teeth being knocked out, and as a result, changed my appearance and lowered my confidence - I was no longer comfortable smiling or showing my teeth. It took me a long time to recover emotionally and I was always self-conscious about how I looked. People would make nasty comments or jokes because of my teeth and I would cry both at home and at school, if there were an event which meant I had to reveal my teeth - photograph day was a nightmare. I always thought to myself ‘look at everyone else’s nice smile, and then look at mine!’
Then, to make matters worse, after I had recovered physically from that major setback I was involved in a serious car crash which knocked me right back down again, as I suffered from memory loss, which made me feel stupid as well as ugly.
However my orthodontist changed the way I thought and felt about myself. By simply doing his job he completely changed my life. When I first started treatment I was very shy and used to cover my mouth with my hand as I was embarrassed - in my opinion my teeth were a mess and as, I and other people said, I had ‘fang teeth’ which stuck out noticeably, but Dr Mustafa reassured me that in the end I would have a beautiful smile and lovely teeth.
Now I feel I can grin all day long and it would not bother me in the slightest! People have told me they like my teeth now and I think it is just wonderful how much my life has changed by simply having a brace fitted.”
Professor Tim Newton, another of the competition judges commented “Rachel’s case shows how orthodontic treatment can have a great psychological as well as clinical benefit.”
Her prize of a Sonicare DiamondClean sonic toothbrush will enable her to keep her newly straightened teeth immaculate. Meanwhile the winning orthodontic specialist, Mustafa Abdel Ellah Mustafa at Sayegh & Partners Orthodontics in Musselborough, Scotland has scooped a second commendation.