There are many times people have asked me why I decided on dentistry as a career choice. Without one moment of hesitation, I would describe it as not only a passion, but a calling. Having practiced for nearly 18 years, I have been able to see and be a part of many major transformations in people’s lives. The impact of a beautiful smile certainly cannot be underestimated.

As all of us in the profession know, we often find patients in dire need of dental care without the resources to properly achieve oral health. Mary Ladowski was such a patient for me. Mary was referred to me for her dental care by her mother. At that time Mary was actively trying to obtain a job with little success. Due to her limited finances and dietary habits, her dental condition was in decline. She presented with rampant dental caries, traumatic occlusion, missing teeth and tetracycline staining. Mary had been unaware of how much her diet and oral hygiene had an impact on the condition of her teeth. She was clearly headed toward the early loss of all of her natural teeth if left untreated. At any age this is unacceptable, but even more so at 41 years of age.

Mary’s smile was always beaming from the heart, not her mouth. She struggle’s to live independently and was very worried about any expenses as she could budget only for monthly necessities. In search of a way that I could help Mary restore her dentition comprehensively and have a greater confidence in her smile, I found the website for Smiles for Success. I was so excited with the possibility of finding an organization that would partner with me to complete Mary’s extensive dental needs. The day I told her mother she had been accepted into the program, we both wept.....then I got to work!

Mary was initially counseled on the importance of oral hygiene, improving her diet, and limiting the intake of carbonated beverages. She demonstrated great improvement with her oral hygiene on each appointment and was very motivated. A personal consultation with my dental lab technician, Linda Raveane, CDT, allowed Mary to take an active role choosing her new smile. To date, multiple root canals, Empress crowns and a bridge have been placed with much work left to be completed.

Mary now smiles brightly with her new teeth every morning at her job in a popular restaurant. She takes great pride in everything she does and is often asked to work overtime. All of us are very grateful for the opportunity to work with an incredible organization like Smiles for Success.

‘How wonderful it is that nobody need wait for a single moment to improve the world”
-Anne Frank

Annette Skowronski , DDS, FAGD, PC