Dr. Eileen Huynh, '15 DMD, remembers meeting her patient Dawn for the first time more than two years ago. She admired Dawn's upbeat outlook and genuinely friendly disposition despite dealing with the serious health issues she faced.
“Dawn is one of those people who lights up a room when she enters,” Huynh said. “Just being around her makes me smile. No matter what's happening, Dawn seems cheerful and almost on the verge of laughter. When we met, however, her oral health had deteriorated dramatically because of her medical challenges, which further impacted her well-being and made her self-conscious about smiling.”
Dawn explained that certain treatments caused her teeth to move and become discolored. She recalled looking in the mirror one morning after waking up and noticing that a portion of a tooth was missing. She was afraid that she had swallowed the chipped piece, but later found it caught in the sheets.
Dawn and her family had been searching for months to find treatment options before being referred to Elegant Smiles, the practice owned by Huynh and her husband Dr. Phi Phan. Huynh determined that Dawn needed a full-mouth reconstruction, an extensive procedure that typically costs tens of thousands of dollars.
Huynh said she would coordinate with Dawn’s medical insurance company to help cover the expenses. Meanwhile, Dawn’s family was exploring what they could fundraise or sell to offset fees for the reconstruction. They worked with Huynh for more than six months attempting to secure the necessary pre-authorization, but after three appeals and three denials, Dawn decided to “take a break from pursuing treatment.”
When Huynh received the news, she was heartbroken.
“One of the driving reasons behind my career choice was the ability to make a difference in peoples’ lives,” Huynh explained. “When we are able to restore a smile, we are providing much more than just new teeth. We are restoring a patient’s self-esteem and confidence. This is really life-changing for some, and I love seeing this happen.
"When Dawn emailed me about giving up, it broke my heart because I really felt like she deserved this treatment.”
Huynh refused to give up. She contacted her trusted dental lab and dental supplier and received donations for all of the procedure costs. She then combined that with her practice’s annual tradition. Each year as part of the giving spirit during the holiday season, Elegant Smiles chooses a patient to receive necessary treatments at no cost. Huynh named Dawn as the 2021 recipient.
Dawn and her family could hardly believe it.
“When Dr. Huynh said Elegant Smiles was going to cover the cost and give me my new smile, my family and I were shocked,” Dawn said. “Completely shocked – it was like $30,000. We had been trying for a long time to get my teeth fixed and kept having challenges. Her kindness made a wonderful difference in my life, and I have been smiling everywhere I go for nearly two years now.”
Dawn explained that her new teeth have yielded other benefits, including enabling her to eat properly again. Prior to meeting Huynh, Dawn would frequently skip meals and avoid certain foods because chewing caused her pain. Now she’s been able to maintain a healthy weight and healthy diet.
She’s also on the cusp of solving another medical issue.
“My new smile has also given me a healthy mouth. The reason that's important is because I'm trying to get a kidney transplant. When my teeth were bad, I had to put that search on hold because unhealthy teeth are indicative of infection, which could complicate the surgery.
"Now that my mouth is healed, the surgery can proceed. I wouldn’t have this shot now if I hadn’t met Dr. Huynh.”
At this time, Dawn, who continues to see Huynh for regular dental check-ups, has a kidney donor identified and is coordinating with a surgery center to complete the transplantation. The prospect causes her to smile even more.
