May 19-25, 2004

Smile makeover winner enjoys royal treatment, new look
By Quentin Young Lafayette News

Standing outside Gary the Photographer's studio on Lafayette's east Simpson Street, Barbara Feighner reflected on her day. Friday, May 14, started when a Ford Excursion limousine arrived at her home. She had a 9:30 a.m., appointment at Lafayette's Herbal Essentials, where she was pampered with herbal treatments. From there, the limo took her to the 95th Street Salon for a two-hour hair and makeup session. When that wrapped up, she proceeded to a photo shoot at the studio.

Feighner thought about her new look, having just strutted in before the camera for more than an hour. "It's a lot different," she said. "It'll take some getting used to." One piece of Feighner's new appearance is an undeniable improvement her teeth.  They are smooth and white. They look healthy - they did not always look this good. Feighner's day of royal treatment was her prize for winning the Ultimate Smile Makeover contest, sponsored by Lafayette's Centaur Dental. Centaur Dental's Dr. Gordon West said the state of Feighner's teeth when she first visited him presented a challenge. "It's probably the most difficult case I've seen come through here in two years," he said. West spent five months working on Feighner. Cavities marred every one of her top teeth. She underwent multiple root canals. She required build-ups and crowns. "The transformation is amazing to watch," West said. "I thought that it turned out well." He said exposure from the Ultimate Smile Makeover contest has resulted in increased cosmetic business for Centaur Dental. "I'm doing one of these kinds of cases a week now," West said.

Feighner's co-workers at Pottery Barn Kids in the FlatIron Crossing Mall entered her in the Ultimate Smile Makeover contest when they wrote a letter to West and his colleague, Greg Keene, describing Feighner's need of cosmetic dentistry. Feighner, a stockroom coordinator, said a bright smile is an asset when dealing with the public. "When you're out in the public, people always judge a book by its cover," she said. She recently was transferred to her store's Park Meadows Mall location - a promotion, since the Park Meadows store is larger. Feighner had one more stop to make after the photo shoot. Accompanied by her daughters, Rebecca and Shania, she hopped back into the limo and was off to sink her teeth into the cuisine at Lafayette's Magnolia Restaurant.