Erin Rosberg is looking forward this winter’s Christmas season.
Delectable foods, time with friends, cool weather and family photos are all things she is looking forward to enjoying at a whole new level.
In recent years, the holidays (and many other times) were not as joyful.
Erin has been suffering from poor dental health, tooth decay and gum disease. She was constantly in pain and felt her food choices were extremely limited. Even spending time outdoors in cold weather made the pain in her mouth almost unbearable.
And if that wasn’t enough, possibly the worst pain Erin felt was inside when it came time to smile for the camera or laugh while visiting family and friends.
“When you can’t smile in photos with your kids because they might be embarrassed…” she said while fighting through the tears. “It’s hard to feel accepted, when you can’t accept yourself.”
Thanks to the benevolent generosity of two local dental professionals, Erin is smiling like never before.
Dr. David Frausto, DDS, with Bradshaw Family Dental, and Dr. Benjamin Abt, DMD, MD, with Oral and Facial Surgery Center of Prescott, worked together to develop a plan to give Erin a healthier mouth with less pain and a bright, beautiful smile.
And while procedures like this can easily cost in the 10s of thousands of dollars, the doctors teamed up on the financial side of this project and devised a generous plan to accommodate Erin’s young family’s budget.
Her journey started after speaking with her friend Jenni Abt about her dental troubles.
Erin had already been to visit one dentist, but didn’t feel like she had enough choices and felt pressured to make a quick decision about how to improve her dental health. She made an appointment to get a second opinion from Dr. Abt, and that’s about the time she started to feel better.
Dr. Abt and Dr. Frausto teamed up and through consultations with Erin, devised a plan to build a stronger, healthier mouth that would allow Erin to have a denture that was supported by dental implants into the jaw bone. Erin is now able to eat corn on the cob, ribs, just about anything.
“This is often a long-term solution,” said Dr. Abt. “It is one of the most satisfying procedures I do. It can change a person’s confidence and whole outlook on life.”
Abt described Erin’s case as extremely challenging and he warns that this type of oral surgery is not to be considered lightly and that the evaluation process to make sure Erin was a good candidate was comprehensive.
Abt says that partnering with Dr. Frausto on this project was a good thing and that communication on the many moving parts for replacing a full upper set of dentures and filling in some missing gaps on Erin’s lower teeth took a lot of preparation and planning.
“My pain has gone from a 9 to a zero,” Erin says of the relief she feels in her mouth from the pain. “As a result of this work, I have also given up soda and lost more than 40 pounds! I’ve been praying for this for 6 years, and God has given me a real opportunity.”
Dr. Frausto knew there would be a lot of work when he first saw Erin’s mouth, and now that the work is done he couldn’t be happier with the results.
“We figured out a plan, and I love this kind of work with prosthetics because it can be so meaningful for the patients,” Frausto said.
Frausto is proud to be able to partner with other professionals in the community, like Dr. Abt to help people in need.
“It makes sense when we work together, because we have the same philosophy and moral compass,” Frausto said.
Erin is eternally grateful for the help she has received and says she will never be able to say “Thank You” enough for all that she has received.