A case study - Jean Ainsworth-Smith, London

“Liberation! I have just thrown away the denture that I have been wearing for the past three decades – more than half my lifetime” was what Jean wrote after receiving her dental implants.

“Thirty years ago, a youth jumped into my face in a swimming pool, knocking out two of the teeth in my upper jaw, one of them a front tooth. Since then I have had to wear a denture and have been very conscious of my ‘dentured smile’”

Upon Jean’s first visit, she had two implants fitted in place of the denture, the whole process of which took only an hour and a half where Jean, in her own words “experienced no pain and very little discomfort”.

Jean was given a supply of antibiotics, steroids and mouthwash to be taken for a couple of days after the operation. Commenting on the days after the first operation, Jean said:

“I could eat normally and those two days that I had allocated to my recovery had been bonus days as, apart from taking the medication as instructed, I had been able to live life as normal.”

On Jean’s second operation, a few weeks after the implants had been fitted, ‘posts’ were inserted into the implants, a very intricate procedure involving careful measuring and positioning to ensure an exact fit. Temporary crowns were then fitted on to the posts. Although only temporary at this stage, Jean recorded feeling “denture-less and liberated”.

Two weeks later, Jean had her temporary crowns removed and new crowns inserted in their place and she has never looked back. In fact, they have made a huge difference to her overall dental health:

“I have already observed a great improvement in the state of my gums now that I have no denture in place. Also, what joy: I’ve been able to eat whole apples – something that I have not done for over thirty years. Now I am smiling and responding to others with a confidence that has been lacking for the 33 years.”

“I cannot fault the treatment and care that I have received from Dr Tinkler and his team at Earlsfield Dental Centre. Through his expertise and care he has given me much more than two new teeth.”