If you are this man named Tom, there is no need to imagine. It is your reality check. For many years, he was able to eat, drink, speak and smile with self-confidence. As a salesman, he could interact socially with his clients without hesitation. As husband, father and friend, he could produce a heartwarming grin.

Time passed and nature got involved. Tom's smile began to change as his teeth chipped and suffered decay and his gums became inflamed. Tom himself noticed that his teeth were changing position. They seemed to be getting longer and they were staining. He also experienced an unpleasant taste and odor in his mouth, and found his gums frequently bled when brushing. As a smoker, he accepted some of this as 'par' for his lifestyle, but in spite of a high pain threshold, Tom was aware of periodic and usually intensifying oral pain.

After years of enjoying a gratifying masculine self-imagine, Tom started to notice people looking at him differently, often developing a slight frown when he smiled at them. He became self-conscious about his oral condition, less effective in interpersonal interactions, and increasingly anxious about his overall health. A bright light was fading and no one knew it better than Tom himself.