Lauren's all smiles again after teeth accident

Sunderland Echo

A nightmare holiday accident left a nurse too upset to flash her winning smile. Lauren Howe fell head first after slipping on a wet marble floor, knocking out one of her front teeth and shattering two more. The dental disaster happened just three days into her holiday in Ibiza, leaving the Cleadon 23-year-old so distraught that she cut short the long-awaited trip, which she had booked to celebrate passing her exams.

"I had no idea at first how bad it was," said Lauren, who works at South Tyneside Hospital. I had just finished my nursing degree and was looking forward to a really good holiday, so I really couldn't believe that something like that had happened. I just wanted to go home."

She added: "I have always taken care of my teeth and I was always known as 'smiler,' so seeing the mess they were at first was an absolute nightmare. I was stunned when the dentist in Ibiza told me there was absolutely no way to put it right." Lauren flew back to England the following day and went to see Dr Ken Harris, at Riveredge Cosmetic Dentistry, in Wylam Wharf, Sunderland.

"When I first met Lauren she was very self-conscious about her accident and extremely upset at the thought it couldn't be fixed. While the majority of our clients come to Riveredge for purely cosmetic reasons, Lauren was in a great deal of distress and as such was much more of an emergency case." said Dr Harris

Dr Harris reassured her that the damage could be put right, giving her a temporary set of teeth while the year-long process of repairing her own was being carried out. "As well as having high-quality porcelains fitted, Lauren basically had to undergo cosmetic surgery for gums. It is impossible to get this right in just one appointment, but Lauren has been extremely patient and prepared to wait for the best results, a decision which I think has really paid off." he said.

Lauren has just finished her treatment and has a beaming smile to show for her suffering – just in time for her return trip to Ibiza. "I can't wait to go back, and my teeth look fantastic," she said. "I am absolutely over the moon."

Dr Harris said: "The change in Lauren's demeanour since the work was completed has been truly remarkable and I am very glad I was able to help her get her smile back."