Kennewick woman looks forward to smiling again after dental overhaul

Barbara Trivett has a wedding to go to in October.

Her oldest child, daughter Breanne, is getting married. And on the big day, Trivett, 41, of Kennewick, won’t have to be self-conscious about flashing a wide smile.

She’s having a major dental overhaul, thanks to Columbia Basin Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons in Kennewick.

Trivett is nervous about the surgery, which is scheduled for July 25. But she’s also really excited.

“I don’t smile much. When I talk, I try to cover up,” she said. With the surgery, “I’ll be able to smile again. It’s still sinking in.”

The Kennewick oral surgery practice announced earlier this year that it would provide a new set of dental implants to a chosen recipient through its Smile Again program.

About 150 people applied, and Trivett rose to the top.

She has a warm, winning personality, said Dr. Tyson Teeples.

“The more I got to know her, the more I felt that, she’s got kids, she’s got a life, she’s got family, she has a lot of adventures to go — and how much more confidently she’ll be able to face the world with the smile that she wants,” Teeples said.

Dr. Todd Cooper, another partner in the practice, added that, “We feel like Barbara is going to take this gift and do something useful with it.”

Trivett has had a lack of tooth enamel since she was young, she said.

She went to a dentist to try to correct her issues, but most of the work cracked or fell off. She’s missing most of her upper teeth, and the ones that are left aren’t in good shape.

Her upper teeth will be totally replaced, and she’ll also have a partial implant on the bottom.

She’ll need some follow-up after the July 25 procedure, but she’ll walk out that day with a brand-new smile.

“I think it’s great,” said Brian Trivett, Barbara’s husband.

They’d exhausted their other options, and the surgery will make a big difference for his wife, he said.

Brian is a painter and Barbara works for the Postal Service. They have five kids altogether.

Along with Teeples and Cooper, the Kennewick practice also includes Drs. Ryan Toponce and Brandon Reddinger.

Dr. Lance Gledhill of Gledhill Dental in Kennewick also will help with the procedure, and MicroDental Northwest made the prosthesis.

Cooper said Columbia Basin Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons organized the Smile Again event as a way to give back.

“We’ve been part of the Tri-City community for 25 years. We live here, play here, work here,” Cooper said. “We wanted to do something that would really impact someone.”

This story was originally published July 23, 2016 at 8:11 PM with the headline "Kennewick woman looks forward to smiling again after dental overhaul."