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Orthodontic treatment puts Carly in the pink
24th Aug 2009
Carly Pink is the overall winner of this year’s British Orthodontic Society Against the Odds competition
Patient Carly Pink is the overall winner of this year's British Orthodontic Society Against the Odds competition.
Fearing bullying in her teenage years, Carly decided against orthodontic treatment but as an adult regretted her decision.
She says: ‘One day I looked in the mirror and just broke down in tears… all I could think was I wish I had stood up to the bullies'.
Carly was so unhappy with the state of her teeth, she would talk to people with one hand over her mouth, paranoid they would judge her as her bullies had a decade ago, and at one stage took anti-depressants to help with her feelings.
It took some time for Carly to build up the courage to call an orthodontic practice. She says: ‘The day I went to my appointment I felt sick and embarrassed because I had to let someone see my teeth.'
Her orthodontic specialist, Dr Michael Cheung of Maple House Orthodontics in Slough, undertook fixed appliance treatment until the time that both he and Carly were happy with the appearance of her teeth.
Once the brackets were removed Carly cried with happiness, her confidence soaring. As she put it herself: ‘I wish I could see the bullies from school and just smile at them'.
Carly's story has won her first prize of a £750 travel award courtesy of Ormco.
In addition, so impressive was the quality of the entries that two further prizes of Sonicare toothbrushes were awarded – to Doreen Hurley, who underwent orthodontic treatment at the age of 76, and Kayleigh Wilson, whose orthodontics have helped to build her shattered self-image.
The Against the Odds competition is open to patients who have recently completed specialist orthodontic treatment and seeks to raise awareness of the impact of orthodontic treatment on patients' lives.
Against the Odds was judged by a panel of orthodontic specialists, along with a professor of psychology and a journalist from The Sunday Times.
For more information about The British Orthodontic Society, please visit www.bos.org.uk.
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