01/06/2015

A journey to a new smile


Ok, some of you may not be in the slightest bit interested in this post about Mr C's gnashers, so if that's the case, we'll say our farewells here, but don't forget to be back for the next non teeth post!! I was in two minds whether to put it on here or not but hey it's a lifestyle blog and this is life, so why not! Mr C is happy for me to post it, he's not embarrassed, he just hopes it will help some people out there going through the same thing.

I'll give a brief history of the problems my poor old hubby has suffered with for some years now. He has advanced periodontitis, has suffered with major toothache, tooth loss, awful discomfort in his mouth, and in the last few years major movement of his teeth has occurred. Please don't think this is due to him not looking after his teeth as he actually has the best oral hygiene of anyone I know, constantly cleaning and flossing, but this is something his parents had at a young age and had to deal with, and his sister has the same thing. He doesn't like to smile on photos because his teeth are wonky and one is starting to stick out and become quite noticeable so he is conscious of them when speaking to people face to face. In time he would lose them all so something had to be done. 

For the last few years we have talked and talked about him getting them fixed, sorted, replaced, whatever it took. We would talk, he'd get all excited about the prospect of new teeth, and then would go off the boil, again and again. He would always say, "but it's not you having to go through it" and he was absolutely right. It's not me having to go through it, and I do not, and absolutely can not understand how it makes him feel.

The main concern as well was finding a dentist and practice he could put his trust in 100% knowing that they would unequivocally do the right thing for him. Where do you start? There are thousands of practices to choose from, how on earth do you know if they are good and you'll get the result you want, and not be ripped off. It's a mine field. We started off at a local dentist who offered a free consultation. I say WE as I am with Mr C every step of the way, even holding his hand if he needs me to. The other thing Mr C also didn't know was a) whether some teeth could be saved or would all need removing? And B) would he be a suitable candidate for implants? That's a scary word, implants, boy are they expensive!! Anyway, back to our first consultation, which incidentally was 3 years ago, I did say he blew hot and cold with wanting to go through with this didn't I! They took X-rays, which we had to pay for and then had a long chat. They talked about possibly being able to save some of his teeth but that he may even need a full reconstruction, which he was prepared for. Needless to say, as we're three years down the line, Mr C didn't choose to go with this dentist, they were ok, they were friendly, and seemed knowledgeable, but there was just something missing.

I continued to battle with him over getting things moving, and him constantly saying he'll do it when he's ready. He'd browse the net, looking at options, before and after photos and researching loads. We even considered going overseas for treatment, lots of people do with great results but knowing our luck we'd be one of the unlucky ones and end up having to make numerous trips back and forth or even resort to getting it put right over here in the UK, so we put thoughts of horror stories to bed and decided that it had to be done in the UK, and yes at probably twice, three times the price.

Let's now take a little hop back to November of last year shall we, and in particular an evening of Mr C looking at various images of implants and dentures yet again. He came across a dentist by the name of Dr James Russell. Dr Russell has a special interest in cosmetic and restorative dentistry and provides advice and treatment for the Channel Four TV programme, Embarrassing Bodies. Mr C read everything he could and decided there and then that he wanted to see this man for a private consultation. Result. We talked about it and both agreed that surely he had to be good, he's on the TV!!!! The very next day Mr C plucked up the courage to make an appointment. 

That first appointment for the consultation was at the end of last year and Mr C is now well underway with his long journey to a new smile. I need to say at this point I am so pleased that Mr C made the choice to go to New Park House dental practice and Dr Russell in particular and although it's a 3 hour round trip for each visit as it's in Shrewsbury, it's so worth it and we got the right advice and guidance. Trust plays a huge part in the decision making, and I guess that's what that appointment three years ago was lacking, I'm not sure, but what I do know is that Mr C and I really do trust Dr Russell. From that first visit he, and I must also say his lovely dental assistant Emily, put us both at ease, they cared, they listened and we didn't feel rushed in any way. Dr Russell had a look, poked about, and took X-rays of Mr C's teeth, went through all possible options and told Mr C if he decided to go ahead it would be at his own pace and we certainly didn't feel under any pressure to go ahead or make any decisions there and then. But the journey had begun.

This is a before shot, what his teeth looked like at the beginning, not all that bad some may say, but he's not showing you the full picture here, it's just a tiny smile, the only one he does now, it's not the full picture as you can't see the gaps and the missing teeth but you can see the one that's 'dropped' due to the bone loss, the one he's really conscious of.


In my next post I'll talk about his first visit, his bravery, and his proposed treatment plan but in the meantime if you have questions, anything at all, please don't be afraid to ask in the comments box and Mr C will reply. He will also be posting videos to youtube documenting his journey. 





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8 comments

  1. Good on him. My mother had all her teeth out age 40 and she cried and cried and cried but ... it made her happier in the end because she could smile with confidence (something she'd never done before)

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    1. Mr C's have just got worse and worse over time and he knew something had to be done. It takes a lot of courage to take that step but like your mum I know he will be happier in the long run. He had some major work done today and is now recuperating!! xx

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  2. Poor Mr C. So brave to go through such an ordeal to do something about this. I worked with somebody who had this condition and she also began losing her teeth. Looking forward to seeing the progress! Lynne xx

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    1. Hi Lynne, yes he is brave and courageous to take the step but he's well on the road now and he's had more major work done today and he's already happy with those results. Report more in the next post xxx

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  3. I think this post is really inspring. Doing something like that takes real balls and kudos to you both for sharing it. I hope it goes well for him, sounds like he's in the best hands. Good luck xx

    Sarah | www.seriouslyshallow.co.uk

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    1. Thank you Sarah, that's really kind of you to say so. To be honest when we were doing all the research we found there was not much in the form of blogs or You tube videos from the UK so Mr C wanted to put it on here in the hope it might even help just one person! Thanks for your best wishes.xx

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  4. I love that you are blogging about this. We have spoken on IG and as you know I am going through the sme thing as we speak. I will blog about my journey at some point but at the moment it is all still quite emotional for me. I am very up and down. First teeth came out 10 days ago and am getting used my temp dentures. Luckily for me I work in a Dental Education Centre in a Lindon University which is part of Guys Hospital Dental Dept so I do have access to some of the top Perio consultants and dentists to speak to and ask advice. I really hope everything goes well for your hubby and will be following his progress.

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    1. Hi Melanie. Thanks for stopping by. Mr C was happy to blog about it, thinking that its the right thing to do even if it helps just one person. He's always so positive but know's he has a long journey ahead with up and downs. You are very lucky to have access to the University and the specialists there, we need a mortgage to fund Mr C's treatment!!!! I have no doubt we will continue to communicate throughout both of your journeys to new a smile! xx

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