A young woman from Halifax, West Yorkshire, who spent five years wearing braces to achieve a perfect smile, suffered a severe accident that left her with major dental injuries and a hefty medical bill. Scarlett Greenwood, 21, was returning home to escape the cold when she tripped on concrete steps. The fall resulted in significant trauma: she broke her nose, lost a tooth, and her two front teeth were severely damaged.
Scarlett had previously undergone orthodontic treatment for half a decade to fix a pronounced overbite, finally having her braces removed in 2022. The accident not only destroyed the dental work she worked so hard for but also required immediate medical attention. Hospital staff managed to set her front teeth back into place and fitted a temporary wire to stabilize them. She also had surgical work done on her broken nose, but is still in pain and faces the likelihood of further dental procedures.
Unfortunately, Scarlett’s two front teeth are “actively dying” due to the trauma inflicted on their roots. She faces the prospect of having those teeth removed, wearing a temporary denture, undergoing a bone graft, and eventually receiving four implants. Doctors have described the nerves in her front teeth as completely severed and full of infection. The surgery and reparative treatment are estimated to cost around £8,000, a figure she must pay herself since NHS dental funding does not cover adults for this kind of work.
This financial burden comes at a difficult time for Scarlett, who works in healthcare and prides herself on helping others smile. She says the accident has been traumatic and has greatly affected her confidence. Pain remains persistent, and she is currently off work. Her diet has switched to soft foods, resulting in weight loss, and she finds sleep difficult. Despite her efforts to remain positive for her mental health, the pain and uncertainty remain overwhelming.
Scarlett has started a fundraising campaign to cover the costs of her urgent dental treatment. Her story underscores the challenges adults can face when seeking dental care, especially after investing years of effort into orthodontic correction. For Scarlett, the journey towards regaining her smile is complex and costly, highlighting the importance of access to dental support after orthodontic work.
Tags: dental careorthodonticorthodontic treatmentteethtooth