Implant Transformation

“I wish I’d looked after me teeth!” (Pam Ayres!)

Just back from a visit to the dentist. How things have changed over the years.

When I was a child, such a visit was a traumatic experience, as I sat in the cold, antiseptic waiting room with out-of-date magazines, listening to the terrifying sound of the drill, then enduring fillings without the benefit of an injection to numb the pain. Is it any wonder that I am still shaking as I sit into the chair?

But it’s a long time since I suffered pain at the hands of dentists – they are a totally different breed now, thank goodness.

Two years ago, I had two implants – failed root canals from years earlier. I had seen photos of what the loss of teeth can do to the shape and size of the face and after considerable research, I decided to go to the Seapoint Clinic in Blackrock.

It didn’t hurt that my dentist was the very attractive Tom Linehan! He explained every step of the process clearly and answered any of my questions. I had concerns because of the length of time that had elapsed since I had lost two of my back teeth 15 years ago. At that time, implants were quite new and prohibitively expensive for me. When I investigated it again a few years ago, I was told I had left it too long and did not have enough bone.

But this consultation at Seapoint told me otherwise. So, having established that (a) I had enough bone and (b) the sinus could be avoided (another important consideration in my case!), and with a detailed plan of dates and costs, I was happy to go ahead with the procedure, knowing that I was in very capable hands.

The second visit was a few weeks later and the first stop was to the hygienist who cleaned and prepped my teeth and provided a mild sedative to relax me. Next stop was Tom’s room where I sat in a very comfortable chair with a ceiling-mounted TV monitor overhead to distract me.

One injection later, I was asleep while he worked on fitting the titanium roots. The next thing I remembered was waking up, my mouth numb and being told it was all over!

Armed with instructions and a prescription for painkillers, I was brought home by GG, sleeping in the car all the way, then straight to bed and fast asleep until the next morning. Painkillers did exactly what they were supposed to do, thank goodness!

Three months later, I returned for the ceramic crowns, custom-made for me. They immediately felt at home in my mouth from day one, so no need to hide a smile again!