From Disaster to a Great Smile

We have had patients who come to us with teeth that are in bad shape—really bad shape. They’re cracked, or chipped or altogether missing, yet these patients are genuinely shocked with we sit down with them and really explain to them the condition of their mouth. It is only when we show them pictures and x-rays, and when we go into depth about the impact poor dental health can have on their future, do they become truly concerned for the health of their teeth. Though we’re happy if you even come to our office at all, we don’t want you to wait until the last minute; but, if you do, there is still hope for you to have the healthy and beautiful teeth you didn’t know you were missing out on.

Case and point: We have a patient who came to us with missing, severely worn, chipped and damaged teeth. He had a bite problem, and he had an aesthetic problem. There was so much going on, that we just couldn’t wrap our heads around how he’d let his teeth go this badly. For the sake of this blog, we’ll call the patient Jim*.

Before

Now, Jim is an existing patient—had been long before he came to us with his teeth in shambles. We saw the deterioration long before he did, despite the fact that after every appointment we would tell him that he needed much more work done. But finally, it got to the point where we couldn’t let things continue as they were. We sat Jim down in a chair and had an eye-to-eye, face-to-face conversation and told him that we couldn’t continue to watch things fall apart and break apart in his mouth. We showed him pictures, and finally, he understood what we were talking about—what we had been warning him of.

We can still remember the moment the light bulb went off in his head. “Why are my teeth falling apart on me?” he’d asked. And as soon as those words left his lips, we knew that he would be on the road to great dental health in no time.

During:

It wasn’t an easy journey though. Jim had let his teeth go much too long without doing anything about the decay and deterioration to make the path a short one. We started off by taking photographs and models of his teeth as they were. We spent a lot of time talking to him about some of the potential risks and factors that led to this issue, and we talked about what his expectations were. Jim had high hopes for his teeth, and we were prepared to meet his expectations 100%. But because his case was so severe, it was a multidisciplinary one, and complications with the oral surgeon arose. We got a laboratory person involved as well, and soon, getting Jim the healthy teeth he needed to live a happy, confident life became a “come together moment,” with everyone from our front desk person to the oral surgeon’s assistant trying to achieve the results that Jim wanted.

It took Jim a year to get to a fully healthy state, but even so, we were able to get him into a provisional state right away. He was happy with the provisional—which are temporary crowns—because, even with temps, he was able to eat and drink without pain – smile without embarrassment – and remember what it was like to have a healthy, strong set of teeth once again.

After

Once that year was over, Jim had his implants in place, and all the final crowns and bridgework were complete. It was an amazing moment for everyone involved. Jim, in his own words, couldn’t stop telling us what a big deal it was for him; that he didn’t realize how bad things were until he really saw it with the photos and x-rays; that he was so happy that he actually went for it; and that we gave him a whole new spin on life. That was the best part—when somebody says that, and keeps saying it upon return.

During all that time we got to spend with Jim, we could really feel the gratitude, and really experience his joy, at being able to enjoy a better smile and better function. Because we spent so much time with him, we forged a relationship with Jim that went beyond dentistry—we forged the kind of trusting, long-lasting relationship that makes our work worthwhile.

It’s Never Too Late

Your teeth have many different important functions: They help you chew comfortably, speak properly and smile nicely. They have an unspoken agreement with the rest of your jaw bone and facial muscles as well (and, if you really want to go deep, with the rest of your body). Missing just one tooth, or having cracked, decayed teeth, can disrupt that whole balance. Most importantly though, your teeth give you the confidence to live your life the way you want to live it. Don’t let poor dental health hold you back from doing the things you enjoy, eating the things you love and smiling whenever the urge strikes.

Jim was held back because he didn’t know. In his own words: “I didn’t realize how bad things were.” Jim is proof that it is never too late to get your life back. Have the confidence to move forward – you deserve it.