How a bullied schoolgirl overcame the trauma of her teeth

How a bullied schoolgirl overcame the trauma of her teeth 

Whilst growing up Eva Hulme’s teeth seriously affected her self-confidence and her ability to make friends at school. She suffered shocking humiliation because of her dentition and was bullied throughout both primary and secondary school. On one occasion, as Eva recounts, “whilst out with my mum, a group of girls waited outside a shop for us and began chanting ‘teeth, teeth, teeth’ at me. This kind of thing happened weekly no matter who I was with.” Things got so bad that she would dread leaving the house and avoided going out where possible, since wherever she went people would stop and stare. She could not even bare to look at her own reflection and found eating in public to be a very traumatic experience as she could not chew with her mouth closed. The appearance of her teeth was so much of an issue that she would always turn down invitations to go over to friends for tea, and eventually the invitations stopped.
 
Imagine never being able to close your mouth, not even when eating. This is the devastating problem that Eva experienced for most of her youth. Eva first visited an orthodontist at only three years old, as her dentist was concerned about the prominence of her teeth and upper jaw. Despite having her first brace in 2001 to help align her teeth at the very early age of seven years they remained very prominent and she could not close her mouth. The real problems started as her second teeth came through.  Her upper front teeth protruded at an angle of 44 degrees, 11 mm in front of her lower teeth and her appearance was worsened by her extremely short upper lip, which meant her gums were always visible. Her teeth gave the appearance of being  oversized so much so that on one occasion, a stranger asked her, as a serious question, where she had got her fake teeth from.
 
Now 16, this young woman’s journey to achieving a smile which has turned her life around has won her first prize in a national competition which was created to illustrate the power of orthodontic treatment to change lives. Against the Odds was conceived by the British Orthodontic Society (BOS), which represents the dental speciality of orthodontics; the science and art of correcting irregularities of the teeth, bite and jaws. The entries to the competition were judged by Professor Tim Newton, Professor of Psychology as Applied to Dentistry and Head of Oral Health Services Research at the King’s College London Dental Institute, the Chief Executive of the BOS Dr Les Joffe and Professor David Bearn who is Professor of Orthodontics at the University of Dundee .
 
Reducing the trauma risk
Eva’s orthodontist Dr Jonty Meisner began treating her in 2005. Dr Meisner felt that it was imperative for her to undergo a lengthy course of treatment at a much younger age than is normally recommended because he could see how seriously Eva’s teeth were affecting both her psychological well-being and her overall health. As he explains, “it was important not only to improve her appearance but also to reduce the risk of further trauma to her upper incisors, as her protrusion meant that she would often bang her teeth.” Dr Meisner proposed an innovative course of treatment to reduce both the protrusion and the visibility of her teeth. Initially treatment was with an upper removable brace in combination with High Pull Headgear, before progressing to a fixed brace. Three years into her course of treatment Dr Meisner placed Temporary Anchorage Devices or ‘gum studs’ as they are commonly known, on  to pull the vertically challenged teeth upwards so
as to stop them hanging down so far in relation to the lip. (these ‘gum studs’ are small titanium micro-screws which are temporarily fixed to the jaw bone so as to move each tooth without force having to being applied to the other teeth, which can cause the wrong teeth to move.)
 
Prom smile
The discomfort she sometimes experienced outweighed the prospect of the end result and Eva was very brave throughout the long process, which lasted just under five years, though she will continue to wear a retainer to prevent any future movement. She was helped through it by Dr Meisner’s chirpy and positive outlook and encouragement. At the end of the course of treatment the micro-screws were removed and, to everyone’s relief, the teeth stayed in their new place. It was just in the nick of time – Dr Meisner promised that she would be able to show off her new smile at the school prom and she did!
 
Eva is often complimented about how great her teeth now look. They have completely turned around her confidence and she is, for the first time in years, happy to smile and show off her teeth. She can also put some perspective on the occasion when her passport photo was sent back because her mouth was open in it!
 
Psychologist Professor Tim Newton, one of the judges of the competition, summed up his feelings: “Eva is rightly proud about her new teeth and the confidence she has gained as a result. Her case underlines the important effect orthodontic treatment can have psychologically as well as to physical wellbeing.” Professor David Bearn another one of the judges, added “Eva’s story from bullied schoolgirl to confident young woman illustrates how tough it can be to be ostracised by your appearance and the massive benefits modern orthodontic treatment can achieve.”
 
Eva was treated by Dr Jonty Meisner, who is Principal Orthodontist at Lakeside Orthodontics in West Kirby . She won £750 worth of travel vouchers thanks to the support for the competition from SDS Ormco, whilst Dr Meisner will be awarded a trophy at the British Orthodontic Society’s annual conference in Brighton .