In 2013, DentalPlans.com held theUltimate Smile Makeover Contest.

Participants were asked to submit a short essay describing why they deserved $5,000 towards their dental care in 2013.

From January 21 through April 1 , 630 people submitted their smile makeover stories from 47 different states.

Based on votes from our Facebook Fans,10 short essays were chosen as finalists and

submitted to DentalPlans.com’s Panel of Judges.

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On April 10 , the Ultimate Smile Makeover Contest winner was announced.

After much speculation, the Panel of Judges chose Stephanie Stewart, of Freeport, Illinois, as the $5,000 grand prize winner.

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This was her story:

I am 26 years old & am in dire need of a smile makeover. Growing up my family struggled on so many levels so dental care was often put on the back burner. I started fixing my teeth at 19 but soon after became pregnant & started saving for my wedding. Again, dental care was put on the back burner. Today, all of my molars are cracked & broken, as well as a crack right in the front of my smile. I LOVE TO SMILE but I don’t feel pretty when I smile. I see how people look at me when I smile & it makes me sad. If I could take away all of those judgmental stares I would probably NEVER stop smiling. But it is so much more than what meets the eye. It genuinely hurts to eat anything harder than a burger or grilled chicken & because hard food cracks my teeth more it takes a huge toll on my eating habits as well as my self-confidence. To have a healthy smile is a true dream of mine. It’s not that I neglect my mouth- I brush, floss, rinse and take care of my teeth but the damage was done so long ago & I just bluntly cannot even attempt to spend that kind of money on myself. I am a divorced, hardworking, single mother whose stubbornness prevents me from asking for help or handouts but to win this chance to improve my smile would honestly change my life. With going back to school soon and gearing my focus towards a career I feel this chance to have a beautiful smile would give me an opportunity to provide a better future for my son by giving me the confidence I truly believe I deserve. Thank you for taking the time to hear my story and I wish all of the contestants the best of luck!

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On April 18 , Stephanie visited her new dentist,Dr. Chad Reedy DDS of Freepoint, IL, so that he could

assess the work she needed done.

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After 5 months of treatment,Stephanie had her last appointmentwith Dr. Reedy on September 24 .th

Afterwards, Stephanie was able to show us her new smile.

We’re happy to have helped Stephanie and congratulate her on

this new chapter in her life.:)

For more information on how to win $5,000 towards yourdental care in 2014, become a fan on Facebook for more

information on our upcoming contest in January.

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twitter.com/DentalPlanscom

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