Dentists hope to restore woman’s self-confidence

Krista Sanchez wasn’t comfortable smiling for her daughter’s high school graduation photos.

She feels embarrassed when she drops her 9-year-old son off at school.

She is uncomfortable in face-to-face job interviews.

All of this self-loathing has stemmed from the poor condition of her teeth.

“It’s embarrassing for my kids,” said the 42-year-old Placentia resident. “My son, at his school, his friends will tell him that his mom is missing her teeth, and I just feel so embarrassed. I don’t want him to get picked on because of me. It’s been really hard.”

Sanchez, who has only two teeth on top and six on the bottom, has a chance at a new beginning thanks to a Mission Viejo dental office. She was chosen as the first-ever winner of OC Oral Surgery’s Second Chance program, which will provide her with a new set of teeth through the All-on-4 treatment, which involves the surgical placement of dental implants in a complete rehabilitation of the mouth.

The treatment typically costs about $50,000.

About 150 people countywide applied and 30 were interviewed, said Dr. Junil Ahn, an oral surgeon who will be performing the procedure with dentist Dr. Daniel Cohen.

Sanchez, who attributes her dental problems to bad genes and a physically abusive ex-boyfriend, said she was shocked at being selected.

“I filled out the form online, not even thinking anything,” she said. “I thought it was a gimmick and that it wouldn’t lead to anything and that I would have telemarketers calling me. A few months later, the phone rang and it was regarding Second Chance.”

Sanchez, a single mother of six who has a certificate in medical billing, said she has been unemployed for much of her life, except for warehouse jobs where she worked in the background and didn’t have to interact with many people.

“I was too embarrassed to work with customers,” she said, adding that much of her financial support came from her ex-husband, who eventually lost his high-paying job and medical and dental insurance. “To work in a medical office, maybe I could have gotten a job, but with my teeth being so bad, I just didn’t feel confident enough to go and try to get a job.”

She said the last time she visited a dentist was five years ago.

Ahn said Sanchez was chosen because of her attitude — she expressed gratitude for the program even if she didn’t win — and drive to make her life better for her and her children, who range in age from 9 to 23.

“Krista is a very positive person,” said Ahn, who has been a dentist for 10 years. “A lot of times, people with the oral health conditions she has would be devastated and not able to function very well in her life. She just had a lot of great personality traits, where obviously she’s in need of this type of care, but on top of that, she’s just an overall very positive person. This could really change her life.”

Ahn and Cohen said they worked with prestigious dental-equipment companies to secure the items needed for Sanchez’s procedure. The two experts will have to determine where Sanchez’s smile ends up, since they will essentially be shaping a new jaw.

Sanchez is scheduled to have her teeth removed on Dec. 1 and have the implants installed in January, after her gums have healed. She will have dentures in the meantime.

Once in place, the implants will have to integrate and the mouth heal for two to three months. Routine check-ups will be provided, also for free, for the following few months.

Though the procedure is lengthy, the doctors said it is worth it for patients.

“For a lot of people, dental implants are a lot easier and less painful than having your wisdom teeth removed,” said Cohen, who has been a dentist for 28 years.

The doctors said Second Chance was their way of giving back.

“Healthcare providers and dentists in the community treat a lot of people with needs, but there are so many people out there that we forget about,” Ahn said. “The whole process was really interesting and quite sad knowing that there’s all these people out there who need help and are unable to get it. To have the ability to bring help to somebody is just a great feeling.”

Sanchez, who hopes to work in a medical office, said the procedure will help her leave her past behind. And considering what she has already been through, she is not nervous about the pain.

“I’ve been through so much that compared to all that, this is going to be nothing,” she said. “To be able to go to my next kid’s graduation and smile big, that is just so exciting, 2016 is going to be my year.

“By this time next year, hopefully I’ll have a really good job, and I can take my kids out and do what a normal mom does.”