A first-person patient testimonial by LaVern, a 51-year-old from Houston, Texas, describing how dental treatment restored her smile, improved her self-esteem, and helped her recover from an abusive relationship; she reports positive experiences with the dental team and plans for follow-up treatment. The piece emphasizes emotional recovery, social reintegration, and gratitude toward the clinician 'Katie'.
Questions this video answers
51 years old.
Houston, Texas.
Chapters
My name is Laverne, I'm from Houston, Texas. I am 51 years old. @ first I was like. I didn't go out much, I couldn't eat. And I mean, I was just like isolating myself. But me coming here now I go out, I smile, I take pictures. I was in a bad relationship and it was just horrible at the top. I only had two teeth right here. And every dens I go to, there's always this and that. So I got discouraged. Got discouraged and then kept going back to the abuser. Kept going back and kept getting stuff done. Well, first I got hit in the mouth with a hammer. I got stumped. I mean, it's just a lot. It's back and forth, back and forth. And I guess he was like, I'm a dismantle you for nobody else, don't want you. That's what his mind was. But God had other plans because I'm still here. And I got my smile back once I realized that, you know, I have the life to live. I have to live for me. I just got out of it and then. And Katie just gave my smile back. Ms. Kate gave my smile back. So she gave me a lot to look forward to that I didn't have at first before I came here. First I had the top done and I'm coming back to get the bottom done. So it was. Everybody told me it was going to be painful. It wasn't the top. The next day I was like back in motion. And it didn't hurt that much. I just don't like needles. But it was okay. Everybody was nice and they took their time explaining everything. I was nervous and they calmed me. So I mean, I like, they very. They nice. They very nice. And you don't go to many dentists and find nice people. They welcomed me in, show me around everything and went step by step what they gonna do and how it's gonna happen and everything. So it was easy. But now I wake up and I be ready to go outside. At first I ain't go outside, I ain't do a lot of stuff. Now I wake up, I be. I don't even wanna work from home no more. I wanna work in a the building. But I've been working from home so long, so I still get a chance to smile on the phone. I take a lot of pictures now. Every time somebody stop, I'm taking a picture. So it's different. It's been a long time coming. So I want to tell her that I thank her so much. She had really changed my life because at first I was like on the suicide side. And then, you know, I see all my friends going out and doing stuff and I'm like, I'm always in the house. But after I came here, they called me, I'm going. So she had really changed my life and made me love myself more. She made me a better person. So I mean she have really changed my life more than she ever know.
