“Losing my front teeth at 14 years old was the bleakest period of my life. Being robbed of my smile at an age where you’re extremely conscious of your appearance was a hard blow. Dr Sadiq’s complex treatment-plan was not only astonishing but proved to be life-changing. He truly worked against the odds to get me my smile and confidence.”  Yusuf Anwer, now 18yrs.

• A teenage boy, from Croydon, whose life changed when he slipped on ice and fell face-forward onto the ground has won an award for his miraculous story of the orthodontic treatment which changed the course of his life. 
• Yusuf Anwer, now 18yrs, entered the Against the Odds competition to celebrate his orthodontist Dr Kalim Sadiq from Orchard Orthodontics in Croydon.

Yusuf Anwer, 18yrs, from Croydon credits his orthodontist Dr Sadiq as transforming his life when others had given up.  When he was 14yrs Yusuf slipped on ice as he walked to a school lesson.  Yusuf felt with his tongue and realised that both his front teeth were missing.  That’s when the panic set in.

Dr Sadiq – received the panicked call from Yusuf’s father.  His first  reaction was “We need to find those teeth and get them safely back in the mouth.”   They searched for the teeth but there was nothing to be found in the deep snow.  Dr Sadiq contacted the hospital’s A&E Maxillofacial doctors to arrange emergency treatment. Shockingly, the x-ray revealed the teeth had penetrated deep into the jaw bone, under Yusuf’s nose.

Dr Sadiq was determined to save Yusuf’s teeth – despite four clinical colleagues at the hospital saying otherwise.  He wanted to do everything he could for Yusuf with the least impact on his physical and mental health.

Reflecting back, Yusuf says “My smile had gone, my teeth had gone; I was unrecognisable. I looked old and battered and felt very depressed at the way I looked. Over time, the side teeth started to encroach onto the space of the intruded front teeth. At a review appointment four hospital consultants unanimously agreed that I needed dentures. I was already on a low due to the way I looked. This news terrified me and took my confidence to rock bottom. The thought of wearing dentures at 14.. I would never smile again!”

Dr Sadiq proposed an alternative intricate plan to try and move the teeth out of the bone using braces. Dr Sadiq used the braces to make space and slowly pull down the teeth out of the bone.

To the absolute astonishment of Yusuf, his friends, family and teachers, his teeth began to reappear.  The consultants were equally amazed and decided not to extract the teeth but rather continue with Dr Sadiq’s life-changing treatment. Just over a year after the accident, the treatment was complete. Dr Sadiq worked with a restorative dentist to have root canal treatments and composite build ups.

Dr Sadiq, says “There’s no-one who better epitomises ‘Against The Odds’.  A boy falls over, he think he’s lost his front teeth, he then has massive swelling, clinicians say he’s has still got his teeth but they need to be removed.  The ups and downs and highs and lows were like an emotional rollercoaster.”

Dr Sadiq’s compassion and dedication has left a deep impact on Yusuf.   Dr Sadiq says “Orthodontics isn’t just about straightening teeth, it’s about making people feel better about themselves.  It was wonderful to see Yusuf’s smile but event better to see how he changed inside.”

Against the Odds 2023 is now open for entries.  Patients encouraged to showcase the transformative power of braces by nominating their orthodontist.  The deadline for entries is Friday 22 September 2022.  Find out more HERE

Richard Jones, Chair of the BOS Orthodontic Specialists Group, said:
“The Against the Odds competition continues to highlight the very best of our profession and the tremendous value that orthodontics has on people’s lives.  A confident smile can change a person’s perception of themselves, their self-esteem and their self-image.  We look forward to receiving entries.”