"11-Year Orthondontic Journey"

I’ve been receiving orthodontic care from Dr Doubleday and Area 6 at Forth Valley for 11 years. When I started, I had an underbite which would require surgery - this was always explained at the beginning and was the end goal.

In 2019, we were ready to get a surgery date.

In 2020, Covid completely stopped my treatment.

Once things settled, I had a consultation with a surgeon in 2022. I had a 7-minute consultation and from the first few seconds of the conversation it seemed obvious they had no intention of helping me. My underbite was classed as an aesthetic issue rather than a functional issue, so was “liveable” and didn’t require surgery. 8 years of orthodontic work completely destroyed by one surgeon.

I’m only my mother’s daughter, so naturally I refused to accept this (so did she) and we went to the Board to push it further. After a lot of calls, more emails, and stern words from either side, I was referred to another surgeon. The consultations started and plans started to be made - the surgery would happen, but no one knew when. CT scans, moulds, X-rays, more moulds, photographs, even more moulds - things started to feel futile after a while, like I was dedicating time to an event I’d never see. But still, I was assured by everyone in Area 6 that it would be okay and everything would work out; I trusted them. They were right.

I got jaw surgery 7 weeks ago and finally got my braces taken off today! When I left the department, I got a heartfelt talk with nearly every member of staff who I’ve bonded with over the last 11 years; I won’t miss my braces, but I’ll miss going to hospital to speak with the orthodontic department.

Sarah and Leanne in Area 6 are a genuine asset to the support network of that department - they’ve made me feel so supported throughout every step of my journey, especially considering they’ve watched me grow from a 12 year old girl to a 24 year old woman. I have no words to describe how in debt I am to Dr Doubleday - she’s changed my life for the better, and I’ll never be able to repay her for what she’s done for me. The department feels like an extension of my family, and it’s such a nice feeling to go to hospital without dread, worry, or fear.

I’ve attended Area 6 for 11 years and have never left an appointment feeling unhappy. To have an appointment every 6 weeks and always leave with a smile on my face, even after having disappointing news or a painful experience, just shows how phenomenal the staff are in Area 6.