A common adage is “A smile is worth a thousand words.” However, for people who have a less-than-perfect
smile, this aphorism does not always ring true.
Sarah Collier, a student, is a key example of this. At 21 years old and in the prime of her life, Collier’s
confidence was close to non-existent.
“I had a difficult time communicating with people because I was very self-conscious about the way I looked,”
she recalls. “When I smiled, it wasn’t a real smile, and in pictures I always covered my mouth.”
Dealing with a combination of dental issues from overcrowding to a gap in her front teeth, Collier decided to
look into the dental options that could help mend her smile. With a referral from her family dentist, she was
led to Dr. Ron Wolk at Hoffman & Wolk Orthodontics.
With more than 30 years of experience, Wolk offers several different types of treatment to deal with various
dental issues, such as missing, protrusive or retrusive teeth, crowding, spacing, crossbite, openbite, deep
overbite or underbite, and other dental problems.
Looking through the photos of his patients and their teeth, she says she felt encouraged. “They had a
beautiful smile. I just thought, ‘Wow, to walk around with a smile like that and not be so self-conscious
about communicating with people would be awesome!’ so that convinced me to do it.”
For Collier, braces were the solution to her dental woes. However, it was important for her to have different
options. “I was concerned initially about having all of the metal in my mouth, and just having that on top of
the bad teeth,” she recalls with a laugh.
Wolk and Hoffman, members of the American Association of Orthodontists, are well-versed in the latest
technological advancements in orthodontic care, to help their patients with treatments that are not only
time-efficient but also less intrusive than traditional methods.
With Wolk customizing the braces for Collier, the young patient says she was pleased with the use of smaller
brackets along with clear brackets on her front top teeth, to minimize the overall appearance of the metal.
Two years later, her “fabulous” smile can be accredited to Wolk’s diligent work.
“He is so knowledgeable and patient,” she says. “He is keeping himself very informed, very educated and
up-to-date on the new techniques. Collier, who is in school pursuing a law degree, says the entire experience
has not only transformed her smile, but her life as well.
“I need to be a good public speaker and I never would have imagined myself in this position if I hadn’t made
a change in my life… It has really changed my whole personality. I’m more outgoing now, I’m not afraid to
smile,” she says. “I know it sounds like it’s just teeth. But for me, it has changed the way I interact, the
people that I can talk to, and just my confidence level shot right up.”
To help straighten teeth, embracing braces can be the first step to a lifelong transformation.
Dr. Ronald P. Wolk, DMD, MS and Dr. Barry D. Hoffman, DDS, MS are specialists in orthodontics and dentofacial
orthopedics. For more information, please visit hoffmanwolkorthodontics.com. •
