For many years, Mia Hansen had not been happy with her smile. Now in her late 50s, she had been losing teeth for years and had some teeth capped. But that, plus the natural discolouration that goes hand in hand with aging, had made her uncomfortable going out in public. In spite of her family’s urging to seek dental help, Mia would not – until her daughter implored her to consult with Dr. Tom Pekar, a laser dentistry specialist. “I didn’t want to at first,” Mia says. “I had been to a dentist years ago and nothing was done properly. Then I went to another dentist and that was just as bad. I didn’t trust dentists any more. But I didn’t like the way my mouth looked and felt. I couldn’t eat anything – not even bread. I wouldn’t even let my family take photos of me at Christmas because of my teeth.” Her daughter, herself a client of Dr. Pekar, finally persuaded her to visit the Thorold clinic, and Mia says she will always be grateful for that. She talks of the dental team at the clinic as “the most wonderful people I have ever met. “I was blown away by the way they treated me – as if I was part of the family, and I really felt like that.” Six weeks later, Mia had regained her social life and her selfconfidence and all because she had regained the smile of her youth, says Dr. Pekar. “When we met initially, we talked and I listened. She told me how she pictured herself looking for the next 10 years. With that image in mind, she took her photos from years ago and asked if we could recreate that smile. We came up with a master plan to do just that.” Mia couldn’t wait to have her smile makeover. She prepared herself by going to the hairdresser’s first, expecting she would be a new woman when she walked out the door of Dr. Pekar’s clinic. Sure enough, when she left, she looked 15 years younger and wore the smile of her youth. “Partnering with the client is key when it comes to the extreme dental makeovers we do,” Dr. Pekar emphasizes. “The facial anatomy has to be there for this type of success. If not, we suggest other options. But it was there with Mia.” The finest design, manufacture and installation system for chewing, speaking and a dazzling smile is created by Mother Nature. I’d be naïve if I thought I could duplicate that in its original perfection. There are often reasons beyond a person’s control why this natural system fails, but though we can’t duplicate nature, we can come really close.” Dr. Pekar and his dental team are currently raising funds at local events to take their expertise to the Dominican Republic in the fall. There they will be the first Canadian contingent, under the auspices of the Crown Council and the Smiles for Life program, to provide dental help to children in the bush.