Mihaley Olivia Grace Schlegel, 19 years old living in the USA, was born with congenital brittle bone disease. Due to this disease, she started to see her teeth transparent over the years. Schegel said he was bullied by peers and his teeth were called shark teeth for years. As time went on, Schlegel stopped laughing because of the growing bullying, her becoming more and more transparent, and the pain she was going through. This led to social difficulties.
HE WAS DIFFICULT WHEN EVEN EATING BREAD BECAUSE OF THE PAIN
“At the age of about 15 it got to a point where I had a hard time eating basic things like bread,” Schlegel told NeedToKnow.online. Schlegel said she tried “hard” to love her teeth because she knew how expensive it was to get them done. “People would make a bad face when I smiled. My experiences became more obvious as I got older,” she said sadly. The idea of dentures came up when Schlegel was 13, but he admitted that he was terrified of what his future would be if he had surgery.
DOCTORS ARE Afraid of Treating
A year later, when her pain got worse, she started looking for a dentist to take charge of the situation. It took five years for an orthodontist to agree to take on the complex case of having brittle bone disease. “The doctors were afraid to break my jaw,” he explained. “I’ve had 117 broken bones, 36 surgeries, and multiple insertions/replacements for rods in both my shin and femur.”
PEOPLE’S REACTIONS HAVE CHANGED
Schlegel underwent oral-maxillofacial reconstructive surgery at the age of 19. “I kept laughing and crying when I woke up from the surgery because I was so shocked it finally happened,” she said. “It was like a dream come true. There has been a big change, especially in the reactions from people. People don’t pout when I smile and they don’t ask what’s in my teeth,” he said.
I CAN EAT THINGS I CANNOT EAT BEFORE
Schlegel will have to go through more procedures, including a surgery that adds two to four implants to his lower jaw so his dentures can fit in, and a laser procedure around the tissue to comfortably place the implants. “The new teeth have benefited me in many ways. “I can eat things I couldn’t eat before, and when I finally smile, I can feel good.”