Dr. Fulbright Discusses Renewing the Smile of a Domestic Abuse Survivor in Southbay Magazine Women’s Issue Feature

For survivors of domestic abuse, there can be numerous physical scars that accompany the lasting emotional damage that has been inflicted. Individuals who have managed to escape the horrors of domestic violence often need help as they begin a new path in life. For many years, our dentist, Michael Fulbright, DDS, has volunteered his time and services with Give Back a Smile, which is a program that offers free treatment for dental injuries suffered by domestic abuse survivors. Recently, Dr. Fulbright and one of his Give Back a Smile patients, Mercedes Williams-Brown, were featured in the Women’s Issue of Southbay magazine to talk about her story and the cosmetic and reconstructive dental procedures that have given her a new smile and helped restore her self-esteem.

In the article, written by Laura L. Watts, Mercedes explains that years of domestic violence resulted in the loss of many of her teeth. Once she started her life anew as a marriage and family therapist, she felt she needed to fix the problems with her teeth, which could ultimately help rebuild her smile as she was rebuilding her life. Through the Give Back a Smile Program, Dr. Fulbright provided Mercedes with a full mouth reconstruction, which included dental implants, implant-supported dentures, and other treatments designed to completely restore the function, health, and appearance of Mercedes’ teeth. Today, Mercedes says she is a different person and that when she first looked at her new smile in the mirror, it “took her breath away.”

To read the full Southbay magazine article about Mercedes’ smile transformation, please click here. Mercedes’ story is unfortunately one of many; however, programs such as Give Back a Smile are there to help survivors take a new step toward a better life, and Dr. Fulbright is both proud and honored to continue volunteering his services to this important organization for many years to come.