Born missing her lateral incisor, Kelley says it always made her feel uncomfortable.
"My eyetooth just stuck out there," she says, "and I felt like I
had a lopsided grin."
Kelley tried having her eyetooth reshaped, hoping the rounded edge would make it
less noticeable. She also considered bridgework, but decided it was not worth having
two healthy teeth reduced and capped in order to replace the missing tooth.
 Finally an acquaintance of hers who had received an implant convinced her to research
this option on her own. When she went to have orthodontic work performed to correct
an overbite, she decided to ask about having an implant as well. After consulting
with her dentist, they concluded she was an ideal candidate for single-tooth replacement.
The surgery itself was over quickly, Kelley states, and the only discomfort she
experienced was while sitting in the dental office anticipating the procedure. Although
there was some slight bruising, she felt no pain afterwards and only took aspirin
instead of the medication she was given.
 According to Kelley, her reasons for having an implant were personal rather than
functional. As a CPA, she feels a lot more comfortable dealing with clients all
day. "Now when I smile," Kelley states "my smile finally looks balanced."
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