Hello my friend.
Today, I’d like to share a story about one of our favorite patients.
Lisa walked through our doors for the first time last summer. I remember greeting her and bringing her to the back room. Her intelligent brown eyes and kind smile, be it closed mouth, were striking and in contrast to her slightly messy gray hair and casual dress.
She was easy to talk to and asked many questions about our practice. The conversation turned to our personal lives. She asked about my family, and I, in turn, asked about hers. That’s when her eyes filled with tears. She apologized as she reached for a tissue in her pocket.
Lisa had no children and had never married. She’d spent her adult life working at a law firm she helped manage and caring for her aging parents, who had both recently passed away less than two months apart. Lisa was now on her own for the first time in her life.
She explained that she’d always been so busy with her career and caring for her parents that she hadn’t had time to care for herself. But that was her past, she said. She promised herself and her mother when she passed that she would change all of that. This is what led her to our office.
Lisa’s teeth were in pretty bad shape. Not quite a dental disaster but headed in that direction. She knew she needed to reverse course quickly and was ready to start immediately. Upon examination, we found that Lisa had three missing teeth and several that showed signs of decay.
“Can you help me?” She asked with tears streaming down both cheeks.
I smiled, placed my hand on her shoulder, and gave her the answer that would change her life. “Absolutely.”
We started with a thorough exam of her jaw structure and overall oral health. Like most of our patients with missing teeth, Lisa was a good candidate for dental implants. We discussed the treatment plan and what it would take to restore her smile and the proper function of her teeth and jaw.
Then we discussed price. She had a moment of sticker shock at the up-front cost. But she understood. She had extensive damage to multiple teeth, just as many missing teeth, and a jawline that had deteriorated due to infection and decay.
We talked about how we could restore her smile, safeguard her jawline, and give her natural-looking teeth that would serve her for the rest of her life. She could have this while committing to a payment plan she could afford.
We recommend dental implants for many reasons.
- They are made of high-quality material that is biodegradable.
- They are easy to care for and maintain.
- They last a lifetime. This means she would never need worry about replacing them, which saves money and aggravation in the long run.
- Implants prevent bone loss. Since Lisa was already missing teeth, the bone tissue in her jaw was already deteriorating. This had caused her to look older than she should. The dental implants we recommended would help prevent bone loss by stimulating her jawbone and helping to maintain its shape.
- Her dental implants would help prevent the spread of infection and reduce the risk of gum disease because they would be anchored to the jawbone. This means they wouldn’t shift or move around like dentures and bridges. If teeth are not shifting, there is no space for food particles and bacteria to build up. This keeps the risk of infection and tooth decay low.
Lisa was all in. We started her treatment the next day, and within no time, she had a smile she was proud to show off to the world. Her dental implants improved her quality of life. She was able to eat, smile, and speak with confidence. Her teeth look natural, and her self-esteem and confidence boost is remarkable.
To this day, Lisa is one of my favorite patients to meet with. She always has fun stories about her job or the new social group she recently joined at her church.
Whenever I see her, I think that if anyone deserves the happiness that comes with a restored smile, it is her.
If you are ready to replace your missing teeth with a permanent and cost-effective solution, please call our office today at 603-605-0036. We are here to help in every way we can, and we can’t wait to see you smile.
