He couldn’t stop smiling!
January’s Smile of the Month is in, and this one makes me especially proud to be a dentist.
About a year ago, John visited Dr Paarth Darbar here at Brightside Dental.
And things weren’t great – he’d broken his front tooth, right in his smile line.
From an aesthetic and health perspective he wanted it sorted quickly, so he came along to see Dr Paarth, and quickly told us the reality: he hadn’t been to the dentist for over 10 years.
Inevitably when it’s been that long, getting back into the chair is like stepping out of your comfort zone, so we made sure he was comfortable and reassured throughout.
Initial Appointment
As with all new patients, we started off with a full assessment to understand the health of John’s teeth, gums and mouth, and here’s what we found:
– The broken front tooth couldn’t be saved.
– There were signs of periodontal (gum) disease, with bleeding gums, deep pockets, and some bone loss.
– A few other teeth were very loose and beyond saving, likely due to the gum disease being untreated for so long.
Quite a lot of bad news, but we broke it down to John, and gave him the good news too – we could help, his smile could be restored and his oral health could be improved.
Step 1: Stabilising his Gum Health
The first thing we tackled was the gum disease, as healthy gums are the foundation for everything else. This involved:
1. Teaching Good Habits: We spent time showing him how to clean his teeth and gums more effectively at home, including the best way to use interdental brushes and floss.
2. Deep Cleaning: Over a few visits, we carried out scaling and root planing to clean out the buildup of plaque and tartar below the gum line.
3. Removing Loose Teeth: We removed the wobbly teeth that were beyond saving, including the broken front tooth.
Without this phase, none of the rest of the treatment would have been possible, and we quickly started to see great improvements in John’s gum health, while he in turn started to feel more confident about what he needed to do to keep things healthy.
Step 2: Smile Restoration
With healthier gums, the foundation was in place, and we could focus on rebuilding John’s smile. Here’s what we did:
1. Whitening Treatment: We began with whitening to lift the shade of his natural teeth. He did some sessions with us in the practice and followed up with custom trays for at-home whitening. The results were fantastic and gave his teeth a brighter, fresher look.
2. Replacing the Broken Tooth: For the missing front tooth, we recommended a Maryland bridge. This option is minimally invasive and gave him a natural-looking result without removing too much tooth structure from the surrounding teeth.
The bridge was custom-made to match his natural teeth, and we bonded it securely in place.
Once it was fitted, John couldn’t stop smiling. He loved how natural it looked and how comfortable it felt.
Stage 3 The Result
It’s no exaggeration to say that the treatment and the transformation that came with it was life-changing John, and he left the practice with:
– A brighter, healthier smile that he was proud to show off.
– A better understanding of how to care for his teeth and gumsto keep them in good shape.
– Renewed confidence, especially in social and work settings.
Click below to see what John had to say about his Brightside experience
Our big takeaway?
We can do some truly amazing things here at Brightside Dental – there are never patients with mouths that we can’t help and improve.
But it takes them to take the first step – to come and see us, to stop putting it off, to take control of their oral health.
If you’re ready to make that happen, click the button below to book an appointment now. If you’d like to chat first, hit reply to this email or give us a call on 020 8888 4401
