We create opportunities for patients

“I’ve always told my children that if you are polite and smile it will open many doors in life. But before my dental operation, I rarely smiled and avoided speaking because I didn’t want people to see my teeth. It wasn’t a problem with people I knew well, but I am a nurse and have to work close to people. If you cannot smile at a patient when you walk into a ward, it closes a door and puts a strain on the way you relate and work. Thank goodness I don’t have that any more”. Ghislaine was one of 15 patients who received complete tooth replacements in the charitable ‘One Day a Smile’ event at the Afopi clinic near Paris. New fixed teeth have changed their lives. They have rediscovered the joy of eating. Poor digestion, stomach pains and bad breath have gone. One woman who had been unemployed because of her teeth and low self-confidence soon found a job, while another has seen his business grow. Instead of covering their mouths to speak, they laugh with confidence and contentment.