A teenage boy who was bullied at school has won an award for the story of the orthodontic treatment which helped him grow into a confident and strong young man. Joel Glanvill, 14 years old, entered the Against the Odds competition to celebrate his orthodontist, Joe Dwyer of Sunlight Orthodontics in The Wirral.
When Joel started his treatment, aged 12, his mother was worried about him, saying that “he was insecure and his confidence was at a low ebb”. However, as the treatment progressed, first with removable appliances to correct the jaw followed by fixed braces, he gradually changed. Friends, relatives and teachers all commented on how his demeanour had improved.
The day the braces came off was a day that Joel and his mother will never forget. “His brace was removed and the boy looking back at Joel in the mirror was unrecognisable,” his mother said. Joel asked his mother what the lines around his eyes were, and when she said they were smile lines he replied: “That’s probably why I’ve not noticed them before – because I never used to smile.”
Holly Jones, one of the judges of the award, said that what struck her the most with Joel’s entry was how life changing the treatment had been for him. “From being bullied at school, to the complete change in his confidence. The results were fantastic and I was really moved when his mum said he saw smile lines for the first time. It’s great to see that with the support of his orthodontist, Joel has not only overcome his fear of dentistry, but has learnt how to smile again.”
Guy Deeming, Chairman of the Orthodontic Specialists Group of the BOS, which created the award, said: “This award is about celebrating the amazing treatment which takes place in orthodontic practices. Every year we get such different stories. It’s very gratifying and we are looking forward to more entries in 2016.”