Richie: A reason to smile

Most of us teethe as infants, lose baby teeth in our elementary school years which are soon followed by our permanent, adult teeth.

For Richie Carter, his baby teeth took a more permanent stance.

From an early age, Kimberly and Graylin Johnston knew their son’s teeth weren’t quite right. “By age 7, Richie’s baby teeth weren’t falling out and I began seeking answers from specialists,” Kimberly said. That’s when their dentist confirmed x-rays showed that Richie didn’t have adult teeth to move in and push out his baby teeth.

“By age 12, Richie’s teeth were wearing down fast,” Kimberly said. “He wasn’t able to chew his food correctly and he began to be bullied at school.”

“I couldn’t chew foods, such as steak,” Richie said. “I thought I would be stuck with baby teeth for the rest of my life.”

By age 13, the family finally found Dr. Douglas Yoon, a prosthodontic resident in Restorative Sciences at the Dental College of Georgia. While it would entail multiple 6 hour round trips from Dawnsonville, Georgia to Augusta, Georgia, Richie and his parents knew it’d be well worth it.

Over the next 3 years, Richie would undergo a minimally invasive full-mouth rehabilitation. This meant that Dr. Yoon would take a mold of Richie’s mouth. From the mold, he would create a cast that he could construct the new molds. Then the molded restorations would be stained and glazed before being permanently affixed to Richie’s baby teeth.

The rehabilitation added a full 4 mm to his bite.

Pre- vs. Post-treatment

A reason to smile

Prior to treatment, Richie said he felt insecure and talked differently in order to hide his teeth. But now, he talks with confidence and can chew food much better. “I am extremely satisfied with the appearance [of my teeth],” Richie said. “They look perfect.”

“He smiles. He chews. His self-esteem has increased,” Kimberly said. Dr. Yoon put a lot of hard work and personal time into making our son feel comfortable during his visits.

“It’s a blessing to see our son smile,” said Kimberly.