Scott Smith

January 8, 2018

Dr. Franco has given me my smile and life back.
Hello, my name is Scott Smith, and I wanted to share my amazing experience since finding an angel named Dr. Pedro Franco. My unique medical condition is a result of a congenital birth defect. It included a Heir Lip/Cleft Lip, and a Cleft Palate. I spent an extensive part of my childhood in, and out of countless medical practices, and hospitals trying to repair my smile, and save my teeth. My final surgeries as a young adult were to have 2 jaw surgeries to move my jaw forward with bone grafts from my hip the summer of my High School Senior year.

A few years later I started to experience what I called a spongey feeling when biting in my upper jaw. I told any doctor who would listen about what I was experiencing, and was told by all everything was fine. The situation with my upper jaw came to a dramatic head when my new dentist informed me that all my upper teeth needed to be extracted due to major bone loss. My upper teeth had become unstable, resulting in bone destruction. I was told they should come out immediately to lessen any further damage, and I agreed.

The next 4 years would be some of the worst of my life, feeling I had wasted a lot of time as a child with surgeries, Doctor office visits, only to have it all lost as a 50 years young adult. I was completely devastated. I spent the next year not even wanting to see a dentist or deal with the situation. The next 4 years were also terrible with the embarrassment of having false teeth, not knowing if they would become loose at any time, having my food choices cut dramatically, and probably the worst of all, FIXODENT. Due to the birth defect, my palate in relatively flat, thus I had to use an excessive amount to help secure them. I had to use so much that it would bleed all over my teeth, tongue, lips, and it would even leak into my sinuses.

After the first year of denying my situation I began the search for a solution to my problem. I went to all the usual practices over the next 3 years, some very well known national practices, some just referrals from these same practices. All of the doctors told me there was nothing that could be done because on a scale of 1 to 10, I was an 11 plus. I knew that with my birth defect my options might be limited, but I also knew that more bone grafts where not the solution.

Finally, in the Summer of 2017 I was given a referral to a cancer center local to Texas from one the National Implant practices. Again, I knew the referral was not what I needed, but I used that referral to get a suggestion from the cancer center to contact a doctor in Houston. The doctor in Houston again couldn’t help me with his practice, but as luck would have it, my dream of getting a permanent solution to my situation would have just taken a turn for more than I really could have ever expected. I at last was referred to, and had found my Angel in Dr. Pedro Franco.

The moment I met Dr. Franco I knew I was in good hands. The staff he has surrounded himself with is outstanding, friendly, warm, and the utmost of professionals. I had a great first appointment, having a CAT Scan, meeting the staff, and meeting my new hero, Dr. Pedro Franco, and discussing my treatment plan. Upon leaving, I scheduled my surgery for 6 weeks later. That’s right it only took 2 appointments, one being the surgery date. The surgery went totally as planned. My recovery time was even more remarkable, only having minimal swelling, and limited discomfort, all being basically gone in a little over a week.

Dr. Franco had literally given me my smile, and life back. I can eat anything, no longer trying to figure out how I could turn any meal into mush, and not having to deal with the FIXODENT nightmare. I am, and will be eternally grateful to Dr. Pedro Franco, he is truly a Godsend. In conclusion, I am Dr. Franco, and his staff’s most passionate spokesperson. I tell anyone’s ear I can get about the amazing thing Dr. Franco did for me, and how he can do it for anyone.