That winning smile Kerry Benjoe, Leader-Post Published: Saturday, July 21, 2007 Rebecca Hardy has plenty to smile about after claiming the top spot and a $100,000 modeling contract of the reality-television show. Yes, literally smiled -- because a Regina dentist worked under a shroud of secrecy to perfect the winning smile of the woman who was chosen as Canada's Next Top Model. "It is a big confidence booster. It's something obviously that I needed in the industry that I'm going into," said Hardy, who hails from Ontario, but had her dental work done in Regina. The dentist who helped Hardy obtain that confidence was Dr. Deryl Dangstorp. Because the work was done before the final episode aired, the dentist and his assistant had to go to great lengths to ensure no one could identify his top-secret client. "The day we were cementing (the veneers), a film crew was in and everything was totally confidential," Dangstorp said. "We had confidentiality agreements that were signed and we couldn't tell anybody in the rest of our office what we were doing or who it was." Hardy, 22, made two trips to Regina. On one of them, she even stayed at the dentist's home to reduce the chances of being recognized in public. Dangstorp was selected as the dentist to perfect Hardy's smile based on his reputation as well as his connection to the show -- his sister-in-law is one of the show's publicists. While in Toronto, Dangstorp struck up a conversation with this year's host Jay Manuel and the two became friends. When it was decided that Hardy would require some dental work to make her smile camera-ready, Manuel called the Regina dentist. "We both agreed that we wanted a smile that fit (Hardy)," Dangstorp said. "We didn't want one of those big chunky smiles with oversized teeth. Especially with being a model, you don't want the teeth to be a distraction." Hardy admits that before receiving her cosmetic dental work she wasn't completely happy with her smile. Now, armed with 20 new porcelain veneers, she's all set for her close-ups. "My smile before was a nice smile, but it needed some more of that red carpet look," Hardy said. She's now looking forward to taking the next step in her new modeling career and she's excited about the many opportunities it will present. Jet-setting around the world and modeling for top designers is a dream come true for Hardy, who used to work in a meat factory making hotdogs in Mannheim, Ont. "I've always been really interested in the industry and modeling, and finally I've been able to get into some place that gave me the exposure and the opportunity," Hardy said. The new model knows that having a beautiful smile is essential, considering the type of work she will be doing. "When it comes to my new teeth, it gives me so much more confidence, which is amazing," Hardy said, adding that she is now quick to flash a smile. Dangstorp did the necessary work and is pleased to see that Hardy is satisfied with her new smile. "That's one of those things about people -- they may not think they are self-conscious of their smile, but they are," he said. "If it's a chipped tooth or a discolouration or if they are just not happy with their smile, a lot of people will try to hide it a bit." Dangstorp has been performing cosmetic dentistry since 1999 and has noticed an increase in patients coming in requesting veneers. The average cost is about $1,000 per tooth and he says there is minimal pain involved with the procedure. Dangstorp has two clinics -- Lakeshore Dental and Northgate Dental. He said the whole Canada's Next Top Model experience was amazing and he enjoyed the challenge of perfecting the smile of an upcoming model.

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