Bre
Hi, my name is Bria more notably known as Bre. I am 32 years old and every day I look in the mirror I smile. When I look at that smile I feel such pride and joy because there was a time I wasn’t able to. See I was born with a hereditary missing tooth which caused major spacage between my front row of teeth which we call gaps. Though some people find a sense of beauty and individuality in such a beauty flaw I did not have that same shared sentiment. I would look in the mirror and force a smile that I was ashamed of. I was about 12 years old when it became a detriment to my social standing at school and my internal feelings of my image. I felt I wasn’t pretty and I would dim my light to try and hide my smile because my teeth made me so insecure. I would literally look in the mirror and cry at my reflection wishing I was anyone else but me. I felt punished by God and isolated. I didnt want anyone looking at me and I always felt like the ugly duckling when around others. One day my aunt approached me about my feelings and from that day on little did I know a seed was being planted for me to bloom. See my aunt had the same hereditary issue and knew the feelings I was struggling with and offered a solution…. BRACES! From the moment I got them on, I instantly felt more validated, and my confidence was boosted! I smiled bigger than I’ve ever smiled before, even before the gap was closed. The weight of feeling hopeless was being lifted! By the time I got them off about four years later, I was now in high school and I was a full-bloomed flower! I smiled in every picture I took. I smiled til I couldn’t smile anymore lol. I felt beautiful, I felt like showing the world all of me and not holding back! Even now in adulthood, I am so grateful and proud of my teeth and smile. It’s one of my biggest compliments I get! Often, we tend to overlook how a small defect can change how someone feels and sees themselves in the world, and at such young ages, it can really alter our perception of the world and our path in it. Everyone deserves to smile at the world and let the world smile back.
Asia
Hi! My name is Asia, this is me in the 4th grade. At that time, I really didn’t care about braces. I just wanted to play basketball! By the time I got to the ninth grade, my teeth structurally were much better. However, I wasn’t quite content because I had a small gap that didn’t seem like it was going to close. I went to my mom about getting braces, and she said, “Your teeth actually grew in very nice.” My dad has really nice teeth, but the gap definitely came from her. I told her I wanted a perfect smile! She agreed to get me Invisalign because as a child she wanted braces, but her parents couldn’t afford them. It left her with lots of insecurities throughout her childhood. I wore the retainers faithfully and as a result, I was able to smile BIG for my senior pictures. It brought my mom such joy because, unfortunately, she wasn’t able to have that smile for her senior pictures. I pray every child will be afforded the opportunity I had, because the confidence that comes with a smile is forever.
kimberly
Hi, my name is Kimberly, and I am the founder of Smiling BIG Foundation, Inc. I desperately wanted braces as a child. I became painfully aware at the age of 10 that they were needed. I pleaded with my parents to get them for me, but with seven kids, including a set of twins, they couldn’t afford them. I spent 11 long years being insecure, ashamed, and hiding my smile. At the age of 21, I had saved up my money and purchased them for myself. The day I had them put on, I had hope, and the day I had them removed, I felt like I had just stepped out of prison. I put on a newfound confidence that shaped me into the bright, energetic and lively person that was suppressed for so long. This is where my passion comes from to help others achieve confidence and a beautiful smile TODAY. I don’t want any child to suffer silently all their childhood. I want them to smile BIG!