A woman who was left with no teeth after a dentist removed them all now has a beautiful new smile with the help of a cosmetic dentist.
Brittany Negler, a woman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, regained her confidence and smile thanks to the expertise of cosmetic dentist Dr. Kenny Wilstead.
Brittany's journey to a transformed smile began after a period of addiction, triggered by the tragic death of her brother when she was just 18. Sharing her heart-wrenching story with Dr. Wilstead, she revealed the emotional turmoil she had experienced.
"For the longest time, I thought I killed my brother. He had Ewing sarcoma. One day I woke up, and I had a feeling not to go to school," Negler recalled.
Recounting the fateful day, she revealed that she went and laid with him in his room but heard him gasp and die 15 minutes later, explaining: "I didn't know better, so I thought I killed him. Like, I thought I laid on his breathing tube or something."
The devastating loss led Negler down a dark path, where she sought solace in substance abuse to numb the pain. Reflecting on those challenging times, she shared: "I went to a dark place, I'm not going to lie. I started hanging out with the bad kids, started doing drugs to numb the feeling. I got really depressed. I was like, 'I need to take care of myself.'"
Seeking help from a dentist due to damage caused by her addiction, Negler faced a decision – the removal of all her teeth and the placement of oversized dentures. The dentist claimed her natural teeth were irreparable, despite records suggesting otherwise.
"I went and got my records before I came here, and it looks like they just made it up right before I came in," Negler disclosed to Dr. Wilstead. "Because on there, it says 'fixable by a root canal,' but they never said anything about a root canal. They said my teeth weren't fixable; that they had to be pulled."
Struggling with her appearance and the difficulty of eating with the oversized dentures, Negler reached out to Dr. Wilstead for assistance. The cosmetic dentist stepped in, conducting a series of appointments to provide Negler with snap-in dentures that have given her a stunning new smile.
Negler credits Dr. Wilstead with saving her life, emphasizing that the lack of teeth left her unable to eat, causing her weight to drop to 79lbs. Now, with her radiant smile restored, she is grateful for a second chance at life.
"Smiles really do change the world. I'm praying to start a non-profit to be able to help people smile and shine again," Negler expressed, sharing her journey on TikTok.
Social media users have showered Negler with support. One commenter said: "Your smile is absolutely stunning. This man changed her life, and I'm here for it," while another added: "I lost it when you saw your own smile in the mirror... I'm legit so HAPPY for you!"