Life-changing dentistry

By the time we met Donna, this well-educated, pleasant woman had not received dental care in nearly 30 years. During that time, Donna suffered a great deal of pain and embarrassment, and many of her teeth had fallen out on their own. Her life had been severely impacted by her dental disease.

Motivated for change

Donna had read stories about some of our patients who had similar dental histories. Those stories, along with her only child’s upcoming wedding, were the driving forces that gave her the courage to call our office.

 

Donna wanted to be able to smile proudly at her daughter’s wedding and not be an embarrassment to her family.

We had three weeks to eliminate Donna’s lifetime of disease and fashion her a new smile. Within a couple of hours of meeting Donna, we reviewed a treatment plan with her. Donna was ready. We made a place for her on our schedule the next day.

The only condition was that Donna would be without teeth during her post-op healing period while we prepared her denture. Donna agreed. She was visibly relieved to know that her years of dental suffering would end within 24 hours. The next morning, Donna presented for her full-mouth surgery.

Treatment

Because of severe periodontal infection and rampant decay, full-mouth extractions and replacement with maxillary and mandibular complete dentures was necessary. Along with extractions, a copious amount of granulation tissue was removed, soft tissue was biopsied and alveoloplasty and gingival recontouring were performed.

Bone grafting and guided tissue regeneration were performed for maximum ridge preservation. All treatment was accomplished in one session, with no sedation.

Throughout her postoperative healing, Donna required only two doses of Motrin 800 mg for pain. Complete dentures were delivered one week later.

Summary

Less than three weeks transpired from the day we met this severely phobic patient and the day we delivered her final dentures. Donna was elated with the transformation and responded with tears of joy.

When she greeted her husband in the reception room, they both cried.

Patient testimonial by Donna Atkinson:

I was so afraid the day I called to schedule my appointment. I was so fearful, yet I wanted to be presentable for my daughter’s wedding. She is the most wonderful daughter a mother could have, I would do anything for her, so I did the hardest thing I had ever done. I read about how you [Dr. Samaha] helped others who were deathly afraid of dental care like me.

This experience with you and your team has been amazing. I felt so safe within minutes of meeting you and your lovely team. My previous experiences were nothing but fright, doom and gloom, and with each new dentist I felt more and more shame. You and your team are remarkable — you opened your arms and your hearts to me — hugging me and praying for me when you knew I needed it.

My first appointment with you became a life-changing day. The stories and pictures on your website gave me the courage to come see you. I couldn’t believe what you did for others, and after meeting you for the first time, I knew you could help me.

In under three weeks, I was ready to stand tall with my daughter on her wedding day with a bright and beautiful smile like the smile I once had on my own wedding day, 40 years ago.

I began to love myself too, in a brand new way, with all the shame of a diseased smile finally cast off. And I think my husband fell in love with me all over again. When my daughter and her husband left for the honeymoon, we felt like we were on our honeymoon, too.

My husband was amazed and touched at how you were able to do what no one else could, mainly to get me beyond my fear. And no one can believe you did it without sedation or any drugs to calm me.

I felt uplifted and supported from the first moment I walked into your office, and the day you eliminated my disease was one of the greatest days of my life. I can never thank you enough.

Within three weeks, my treatment was complete, and I was not only freed from decades of disease, I had my pretty smile back. No words can express the overwhelming emotions of pure joy I felt in finding my smile again after so many years.

Nothing can express the raw, overriding emotion my husband felt when he finally saw me with my new smile — the one he hadn’t seen for years.

Family member testimonial by Carl Atkinson, Donna’s husband:

Sometimes it is hard to deal with reality, and Donna was literally paralyzed by her fear of dental care. Donna’s way was to keep her lips pursed and hope that no one noticed. She finally agreed to go for help just three weeks before our daughter’s wedding because of what she had read about how you helped others with fears like hers.

I was so proud of Donna making the commitment to begin care with you, yet I could only guess how difficult the surgery was going to be for her. That night, I could see and feel her fear, yet I was helpless; but she was determined.

The next morning, I had prepared myself and fully expected to see her pain afterward. It never happened. Instead, I saw pure relief and happiness in Donna’s eyes. And there was absolutely no lingering pain following the surgery you did.

She had so much peace about the whole process because of each of you. Her new smile, just two weeks later, was the best gift Donna could have given our daughter and me.

Editorial note: This article was originally published in Cosmetic Tribune Vol. 4, No. 3, March 2011.