Edwin A. Torrey…Dentist Extraordinaire!

My name is Ron Burch. I’m a patient of Dr. Edwin Torrey, who practices in Fredericksburg, VA, and I’ve got a story to tell. It’s a dental story, and for many folks, those stories don’t have a happy ending. Thanks to Dr. Torrey, mine does. He’s my hero, and if you bear with me as I venture down my dental memory lane, you’ll understand why.

I was six years old when I first visited our family dentist Dr. George Barnett back in Suffolk, VA. The year was 1952. Things were quite different then…no fluorides in the water, plain old Colgate toothpaste, no “let’s make this as painless as possible for the patient” attitude. If you’ve been around as long as I have, then you know the drill (pardon the pun). For me, every visit to Dr. Barnett, who, by the way, was a kind and gentle soul, was a nightmare. Not once from 1952 to 1969, when I left my hometown, newly graduated from college, to venture forth on a new career did I just get a routine checkup and cleaning. It was always a cavity to be filled, a tooth to be extracted, wire braces to be adjusted. In those early years, there was a lot of crying, having to be held down, and even some biting of dear old Dr. Barnett, who never said more than, “Evelyn (my mom), I think it would be better if you left the room. Ronnie seems to do better when you’re in the waiting room.”  Long story short, I left Suffolk as a 23-year-old man with a mouth full of fillings and a severe cross bite (the braces didn’t work as I learned how to pry them off when my mom wasn’t looking).

For the next 30 years, the story doesn’t get any better. One dentist after another, more new fillings, more old fillings replaced, more extractions, root canals, dry sockets, front teeth wearing away from the uncorrected cross bite, impacted wisdom teeth, fear of dentures. It was a never ending story of pain, suffering, anxiety, fear, embarrassment, and constant questions about why didn’t I ever smile. By now, I think you get the picture…and not a pretty one is it!

And then sometime in the early 2000s, at this point I’m in my mid-50s, I was bemoaning the fact to my secretary that I had to leave work early to go to my dentist because I had lost a filling while eating lunch. I gave her the short version of my angst-ridden tale of dental woe, also telling her that I just wasn’t happy with my current dentist, who seemed content to just fill and refill my pitiful, old teeth, to which she replied, “You ought to check out my husband’s dentist Dr. Edwin Torrey. He thinks Dr. Torrey is great.”  Well, I went to my dentist as planned, not knowing then that it would be for the last time. As usual, the visit didn’t go well. Not only had I lost the filling, but almost half of my tooth as well.  The next day, after checking with my dental insurance to see if Dr. Torrey accepted my plan, which he did, I called and made an initial appointment.  And this is where the nightmare ends, and the fairy tale begins!

From the moment I walked through the door into a tastefully decorated, comfortable, and inviting waiting room and was greeted by the smiling and pleasant receptionist, who turned out to be Dr. Torrey’s lovely wife Donna, I had a feeling this was not going to be the kind of experience I’d been having for the last 50 years. After completing my history and insurance information, it was no time before I was in the chair and shaking hands with the man himself, who had a broad smile on his face. At that point, I had flashbacks of my previous dentists, thinking they never seemed to be smiling when I sat in their chairs, but rather wore looks of apprehension, which didn’t really put me at ease. And I swear, I never bit another dentist after Dr. Barnett, so I’m not sure why they appeared nervous, unless I was on some dental blacklist that I didn’t know about. Anyway, Dr. Torrey’s pleasant and professional demeanor and his undivided attention as I related my sad, sad history relaxed me a little. He proceeded to take x-rays and examine my teeth thoroughly, after which he gave me a detailed assessment of his findings. I had told him that I had assumed for years that I’d end up with dentures, a thought that really depressed me, and he assured me that there were many other options available now, and that while my teeth were indeed in not the best shape, the underlying bone structure was good and my gums were healthy and free of disease. He assured me that there could be a pot of gold at the end of my rainbow and not a set of dentures. He suggested we start with replacing old fillings with crowns and carefully explained to me why crowns would protect my teeth much better than fillings. Believe it or not, none of my prior dentists had even mentioned crowns to me. I was impressed by his knowledge and the confidence that he could help me save my teeth. For the first time in many years, I thought, “Wow, I might not end up with dentures after all!” He did not pressure me at all. Instead, he provided me with a detailed treatment plan, including the costs involved, and sent me on my way to consider my options. It was probably the first time I had left a dentist office in my life calmly and optimistic, rather than being in pain and literally shaking with anxiety. That night, my wife Linda (who soon became a patient of Dr. Torrey as well) and I discussed my experience and went over the treatment plan, carefully considering the time and money involved. With her support, I decided I was going to call Dr. Torrey’s office the next day and make an appointment to begin what has turned out to be a journey of hope, restoration, fulfillment, and renewed faith in the dental profession, all thanks to Dr. Torrey, a knowledgeable and skilled doctor, and in my opinion, somewhat of an artist, to which I’m sure you’d agree if you saw my before and after pictures. He is indeed a credit to his profession, and as I said at the beginning of my story, a personal hero to me.

For the next few years, I continued this journey with Dr. Torrey, as he replaced fillings with crowns and instructed me on better ways to care for my teeth, including the use of certain products to enhance my daily flossing and brushing routines, which I must admit I followed much more regularly than ever before because now I believed I wasn’t fated to wear dentures after all. I even had visits where all that happened was an examination and routine cleaning… no Novocain, no drilling, no pain, just a smile from Donna or daughter Stephanie, who was now part of the family practice, as they checked me out, saying, “See you in 6 months.”

OK, now you’re ready to hear about the life-changing event that Dr. Torrey and I started a little over 2 years ago. On one of my routine visits, I told him how my youngest granddaughter Macy was always asking me why my teeth looked like they did… yellow, chipped, a space with 2 teeth missing. Not very tactful, but she was only 8 years old, and, well, just honestly expressing what others were seeing too, including myself every time I faced myself in the mirror. Well, Dr. Torrey replied that there were options available that could change what my granddaughter, others, and perhaps, most importantly, I, myself, saw when I dared to actually smile or laugh. I said that I was too old to wear wire braces…had been there and done that without success. So, once again, in his knowledgeable and credible manner, he gave me literature and told me about Invisalign braces, implants, and veneers. Once again, he provided me with a treatment plan and explained what would be involved as far as time and expenses. So, the wife Linda and I sat down again to discuss the pros and cons. We considered my age (62), the cost, most of which would not be covered by my insurance, and the time it would take (about 2 years) to achieve my life-long dream of fearlessly smiling, showing white, straight, and normal-sized teeth. Well, I’m sure you’ve figured by now that I was in for the ride. And what a ride it’s been! I’ve spent lots of time in the past 3 years with Dr. Torrey and company. There were many impressions, x-rays, and photographs taken. When the Invisalign braces became passive, indicating the movement of my teeth, it was time for new ones, and believe me, I went through many trays.  Once the Invisalign braces had totally corrected my bite (about 2 years, as mine was a tough case that just barely edged over the borderline of qualifying me for the treatment), the final process of preparing my natural teeth for the veneers and creating a bridge for the 2 missing teeth began. And while at times it was rather intense (long hours in the chair for prep and impressions), it was never painful. Dr. Torrey and his staff (several very nice assistants, especially Sam, who was with me for a large part of the journey) did everything they could to make me as comfortable as possible. I think what helped me most was Dr. Torrey’s calm demeanor and the overall atmosphere in his office. I had developed a relationship with him and trusted him totally. I observed the way he thanked Sam and the others each time they handed him whatever he needed or followed through on whatever he asked them to do. Even though some visits seemed marathon, I came to realize it was his dedication to perfection at work, and that he would not stop until he was satisfied he had reached that goal. On one occasion, he even brought me in on his day off to fit me with a new bridge to replace the first one sent that he didn’t judge to be exactly right. And always at the conclusion of the session, a follow-up with me of what had taken place, what would happen next, and an opportunity for me to ask questions. An, of course, always a firm handshake, a big smile, and a genuine thank-you for allowing him to guide me on our journey as I left the examining room to check out and set up my next appointment with the always gracious and encouraging Donna or Stephanie. Oh, another thing I learned along the way…Donna, I believe, is not only Dr. Torrey’s wife partner, she’s his professional life partner, whose influence in his practice is definitely a major force.

So, the journey ended a few weeks ago. Dr. Torrey handed me a mirror, and I had to swallow hard. I could hardly believe my eyes… perfect teeth that look as natural as if they’d been with me all my life. I’ve been smiling ever since and have received many comments about how nice my teeth look and what a nice smile I have…my dream realized after all these years. Last week, I visited my son and granddaughters in Texas. Macy, now 10, of course commented on my teeth as soon as she saw me… “Wow, Poppy,” she said, “Your teeth really look nice!” That was the ultimate compliment.

Well, I haven’t seen Dr. Torrey for several weeks now. I’ll hope I’ll still be seeing him every six months for many years to come. I’ll end my story with this footnote: I turned 65 years old two weeks ago. I now have a Medicare card and beautiful teeth. Donna and Stephanie say I have a Hollywood smile. I don’t think they’re just saying that to be nice or make me feel like I made a good investment. I think they genuinely mean it. I hope to live many more years, flashing my pearly whites, but if I don’t, I’m enjoying every day thanks to Dr. Torrey, who, as always, offered his hand on my last visit, but I had to give him a hug. He’s in my circle of life now. Whatever lies ahead for me, I truly have no regrets about our journey together. The time involved, the cost incurred pale in comparison to the joy and self-confidence I’ve gained. Thank you, Dr. Torrey, for the gift you’ve given me. You are a remarkable human being, compassionate, dedicated, knowledgeable, and professional in every way…a true scientist and artist. I’m sure you have lots of patients who respect and admire you and that you’ll continue to change people’s lives the way you did mine. You’d better believe me that when I get a compliment on my teeth or smile, I give credit to you. If you ever need a poster boy (or more appropriately senior citizen), to sing your praises or convince someone it’s better late than never, I’m your guy.

God bless you, Donna, Stephanie, and your wonderful staff. May you prosper and continue to make dreams come true for many, many years.

So ends my story…happily ever after!

Ron Burch