These are just a few of our Give a Smile™ beneficiaries.

Isabella Brook - NSW


Isabella with her Give a Smile™  orthodontist, Dr Stramatas

“Give a Smile™ gave me something my mum couldn’t really afford and I was treated just like all the other patients.”

When Isabella Brook entered the Give a Smile™ program at age 13, she was a young girl with some speech problems and expressed having difficulty being able to eat and chew meat. Once assessed by Give a Smile™ orthodontist, Dr. Steve Stramotas, it became apparent that her problems were due to her severe dental malocclusion (“crooked teeth”) and her faulty jaw relationship (“bad bite”).

Her lower jaw was set too far back and her upper front teeth were protruding so far that they were at risk to damage from trauma. Isabella’s malocclusion prevented her from breathing normally and even cleaning her teeth properly. And her smile didn’t look very nice!

After two years of treatment with Dr. Stramotas, including plates to help correct the bad bite and then braces to straighten her upper and lower teeth, Isabella now speaks with confidence and never stops smiling. Dr. Stramotas and his staff have been delighted to have worked with her and have benefitted from the treatment almost as much as Isabella, looking forward to their regular appointments and forming a great friendship with Isabella and her mother.

As a grateful recipient, Isabella’s offered the following words to Give a Smile™ and Dr. Stramotas: “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Stephanie Taylor - QLD

           

     
Treatment in progress

“I was very lucky to be picked out of lots of kids; it is very nice that there are people out there that want to help.”

Stephanie Taylor had so many orthodontic problems that she was too embarrassed to smile or to laugh when she was first accepted into the Give a Smile™ program. After her first assessment by Give a Smile™ orthodontist Dr Christopher Ho, she was diagnosed with a Class 3 malocclusion, the most severe class of misalignment of the jaw and teeth. Her lower teeth were completely in front of the upper teeth, causing the front teeth not to be able to bite into foods, and making the face and smile looks abnormal – like a bulldog.

This type of malocclusion (“bad bite”) can cause severe functional problems to a person’s general heath - mainly because the teeth cannot chew food properly and can also create much greater wear and tear on the back teeth.

In order to correct Stephanie’s condition, Dr. Ho had three of Stephanie’s teeth extracted and then he put braces on all her upper and lower teeth, along with elastics for further correction. The teeth and bite were corrected in less than two years.

Stephanie was described by Dr. Ho as an enthusiastic patient and the “happy returns” of her treatment were obvious in her reaction: “Thank you for giving me straight teeth and more confidence, I am so grateful to everyone.”

Cheyenne Drummond - SA

“Give a Smile™ gave me the opportunity to have orthodontic care that my family wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise”

Before Cheyenne entered the Give a Smile™ program, she lacked confidence and rarely liked to smile if it meant she had to expose her teeth. Once assessed by Give a Smile™ orthodontist, Dr.John Cameron, it became apparent that her problems were caused by protruding incisors, (“teeth sticking out”) crowded lower incisors (“crowded bottom teeth) and gaps between her teeth.

In order to correct Cheyenne’s condition Dr. Cameron applied full upper and lower fixed braces to straighten her teeth and bonded wire retainers to keep them straight. The treatment has enabled Cheyenne to have better lip function as her teeth no longer protruded uncomfortably outside her mouth.

Dr. Cameron and his staff have been delighted to have worked with Cheyenne and said they also believed they had benefitted from the Give a Smile™ program. “The staff and I feel are extremely happy to be able to give someone like Cheyenne, the opportunity to benefit from orthodontic treatment.”

As a grateful recipient, Cheyenne offered the following words to Give a Smile™ and Dr.Cameron: “Thank you so much for everything, you are all lovely and I hope other people can benefit from the program like I have."

Amber DeBoucherville - VIC

Amber's before and after treatment photos

“Give a Smile™ is the best thing that ever happened. It gave me a chance to smile again.”

At the age of 13, Amber DeBoucherville was accepted into the Give a Smile™ program and had her first assessment with Dr. Gerald Dickinson. She was shy and was reluctant to smile, feeling that she didn’t ‘fit in”. Amber was suffering from a severe Class 2 malocclusion (“bad bite”). The front teeth were very crowded and uneven. Two of the upper front teeth were squeezed forward, making the teeth very difficult to clean – as well as giving the smile a strange an uneven appearance.

Amber had with braces put on her upper and lower teeth, along with elastics to correct her bad bite. Amber’s treatment took less than two years to complete. As with all treatments, the orthodontist spent many hours of specialised care with each patient in order to give them a lovely, even smile and a healthy bite. Amber’s treatment was a great success and Dr. Dickinson found her a pleasure to work with, describing her as “an excellent patient” who was “very happy and grateful for her beautiful smile.”

Amber had the following words of thanks for the Give a Smile™ program: “Thank you so much for your time and allowing me to be one of your patients. It’s given me an opportunity I wouldn’t have otherwise had and I’m happy to be a patient.”

Erin D'Paiva - WA

“I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to be a Give a Smile™ patient. The treatment has put my teeth into perfect shape.”

Erin D’Paiva was 12 years old when she was accepted into the Give a Smile™ program and had her first assessment with Dr. Kevin Murphy. Prior to treatment, Erin was shy and was reluctant to smile. She suffered from a severe Class 2 malocclusion (“big overbite”) which caused her teeth to protrude outside her mouth.

Erin’s treatment took a little over two years to complete and included maxillary expansion appliances to widen her top jaw as well as full-fixed appliances (“braces”) for the latter part of her treatment. As with all treatments, the orthodontist spent many hours of specialized care with Erin to give her a lovely, even smile and a healthy bite.

Dr. Murphy and his staff were delighted to see the difference in Erin as the treatment progressed. “I know I speak for my staff when I say we are very fortunate and appreciative in our work, to have the opportunity to make our patients’ lives even brighter.”

Following her treatment, Erin regained her confidence and began to smile again. Her mother noticed a change almost immediately; “When her braces came off, she could not stop smiling. What a dazzling smile it was – the most beautiful sight. Thank you to Dr Murphy and his team.”

Elizabeth Fenwick - WA


Elizabeth with her Give a Smile™ orthodontist, Dr Cayley

“Give a Smile™ is a great foundation.  I am truly fortunate to have been chosen to take part in this program.” 

When Elizabeth Fenwick entered the Give a Smile™ program, she was a young girl who was incredibly shy and reluctant to smile.  She suffered from severe upper and lower crowding which caused her teeth to overlap and look crooked.

Elizabeth started her treatment with Dr. Andrew Cayley recently and is already impressed with the results.  “The treatment has made me more confident in myself because I can already see the changes taking place and it’s very exciting to watch my teeth straighten up.”

As with all treatments, Dr. Cayley has spent many hours of specialized care with Elizabeth to help her on the path to a lovely, even smile.  Upper and lower braces have been fixed to Elizabeth’s teeth and will work to progressively move her teeth back into place.

Dr. Cayley and his staff have been delighted to have worked with Elizabeth, looking forward to their regular appointments and forming a great friendship. 

“I would like to say a big thank you to Dr. Cayley and his staff for their generosity and kindness.  I feel comfortable going to the orthodontist because they are all so friendly.”