This is the story and testimony of our patient, Peter.
Peter has just turned 50. His teeth had always been a problem for him. This was not helped by the fact that he simply could not remember the last time he had a ‘pleasant’ experience with a dentist.
Of course, Peter had had fillings over the years, several root canals, and even several extractions. Ultimately, the deterioration of his dental health (periodontal disease and four broken teeth) had begun to cause him headaches and pain when eating.
He met and “interviewed” three dentists, who agreed that the way forward was expensive, complicated and involved single implants. None of the three dentists he spoke to inspired confidence, so another year passed without Peter finding a solution due to the uncertainty and the whole Covid-19 situation.
Peter wrote us this letter with the intention that we share it, so that other people like him can see it and take a step forward to change their lives forever. This is his story.
“At the beginning of 2021, I made an appointment with Dr Crooke,” he began.
Having lived on the Costa del Sol for nearly thirty years, the name Crooke unconsciously put me off for a while (Crooked means twisted in English). However, after reading several testimonials and details on the Internet about the surgery they offered, I finally made up my mind and gave them a call.
From the initial examination (completely free of charge) to the final procedure, the entire team at your clinic has been exceptionally professional, courteous, and thorough. Virginia was my point of contact, and she went out of her way to ensure that everything was explained before, during, and after, even checking in on me the day after the surgery to see how I was doing.
I needed a root planing as my first procedure, which I dreaded. The last one I had left me on painkillers for MONTHS. The young assistants at Crooke who did my root planing on two separate days were excellent. My faith in the dental industry was slowly being restored.
Dr. Félix, who is very professional, took the time to answer my many questions. His assistant Enric was also very patient with me.
Eduardo, el dentista jefe y director de la clínica, vino y realizó la cirugía de implantes. Como era de esperar a estas alturas, fue profesional, considerado y rápido: Extracción de 7 dientes y colocación de 4 implantes. Inmediatamente después de la cirugía tuve la sensación de que los nuevos implantes se juntaban al cerrar la boca (esto es sólo una sensación ilusoria de que tus dientes restantes se «mueven».
I started the surgery around 12:15 and it lasted about an hour and a half. At 8:30 p.m. that same day, I could feel tension in my gums where the stitches were. Actually, I still didn’t feel any pain, just a strange sensation in my jaw. At 9:30 p.m., I took a 400 mg ibuprofen.
I woke up early (4:30), had breakfast, and rinsed my mouth to keep it clean.
Over the following week, the gums continued to heal without any problems. The lower left jaw remained clean, while the lower right jaw showed a small white substance on the upper part of the gum that continued to clean itself. Apart from slight sensitivity in the gums, everything else remained very comfortable. One or two of the stitches came out, but as there was no bleeding or signs of a problem, I did not contact the dentist.
The timing of implant placement
I started taking amoxicillin two days before the operation and continued for five days afterwards. Apart from the 400 mg of ibuprofen mentioned above, I did not take any other medication. I chose to stick to soft foods for the entire period leading up to the removal of the stitches.
It was time to have my stitches removed and check the implants, or so I thought. I received a message to change the time of my appointment so that they could make the temporary teeth for my upper jaw. This last comment did not register in my brain as I was busy at work.
I arrived and they told me they were going to make temporary crowns for my upper jaw. At that moment, I realised it wasn’t going to be a quick visit. Felix and his assistant fitted me with 15 crowns. This required many injections to numb the area and then several more because I could still feel the cold. The drilling is not painful, and after a while you get used to the smell and the sound. After two hours, all the temporary crowns were in place.
The teeth felt enormous at first, probably because my lips and gums were still numb. The cement paste sticks to my palate a little, but I’m getting used to it quickly. There’s a feeling that the teeth are going to move, but they seem to be well fixed. There is no pain in the two canines that were candidates for root canal treatment. So far, so good.
A new week and another eight temporary crowns. I explained that my left back molar was a bit sensitive, and Felix took care of it. An hour later, the temporary crowns were in place and I was ready to walk out the door.
They offered me more gum gel, and I took it. At home, I took 500 mg of paracetamol and 400 mg of ibuprofen, as I had done before. I slept for a couple of hours and then had a bowl of soup.
If you are looking for a dentist in Marbella who specialises in dental implants, Dr Crooke and his team have extensive experience in these procedures.
The next morning, the pain or irritation was minimal and the problem with the upper jaw tooth had been resolved; there was no more pain.
The following week, I was ready to have the temporary ones removed and the permanent ones fitted, without even needing anaesthetic.
We arrived on time and were in good spirits, as this was scheduled to be a quick visit of about an hour. Felix and Enric explained that they would remove my temporary crowns, perform a sensitivity test, and then replace them with the permanent crowns. The sensitivity test was over in a matter of seconds, and they moved on to my upper arch.
They tested my upper jaw for sensitivity and diagnosed me with needing three or four root canal treatments. What joy!
This has been scheduled for the following week, as I was not prepared for two visits in one week.
The upper temporaries were cut into three sections before being replaced. This was done so that root canal treatments could be performed in sections without having to remove the entire arch.
One of the things I suffered most from—although suffering is a bit of an exaggeration on my part—was the following days when my mouth hurt from being open for long periods of time, and the injection sites that hurt for a few days. Hence the decision to postpone the aforementioned root canal treatments for another week.
In an attempt to explain my nervousness about visits to the dentist, I sent Virginia a YouTube clip of Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier in the film Marathon Man to show Felix. This film summed up my general feelings before visiting the dentist. The anticipation is often worse than the treatment. Unfortunately, part of the treatment lives up to the anticipation.
I understand that sometimes you have to go through certain procedures to improve things for the future. That doesn’t mean I have to enjoy them. Even so, it was all worth it.
If you also feel nervous before dental treatment, I recommend visiting a specialist dentist in Marbella who focuses on making you feel comfortable and providing you with the best possible care throughout the entire process.
The end of treatment
April arrived, and with it, the time to place the final crowns on the lower jaw.
The permanent crowns have been fitted and look great. The only problem is that the temporary crowns on my upper jaw look completely out of place. This is partly because I didn’t realise how porous the material is and that turmeric really stains them… permanently.
During the first week of May, they will remove my temporary upper teeth and check the implants. In the weeks leading up to this visit, the movement of the temporary upper crowns gradually worsened. Last weekend, parts of the adhesive began to break down, allowing air and liquid to get under the crowns.
The scan for the permanent crowns was done, but not before Felix had to do a little research. My implants had become covered by my gums and had to be cut back. This surprised us all and left me with several stitches and a swollen jaw for a few days. This is a little uncomfortable but not what I would call painful.
The good news is that the implant has adapted well to the jawbone, and we even did a test with the implant pins to make sure everything was fine.
Finally, 13 May arrived.
It was time to remove the temporary crowns for the last time and fit the permanent ones. Enrique was in good spirits and, after a brief explanation of the procedure, removed the temporary crowns.
Felix came in and asked me if I wanted one or two injections to numb the discomfort. We agreed that we would try without them, and that I would ask for some if necessary. He began the final preparation and cleaning of the remaining teeth, and apart from a few “uncomfortable” moments, we worked quickly and no injections were required.
In less than an hour, my shiny new teeth had been fitted, adjusted in a couple of sections for a better fit, and I was ready to look in the mirror. The finished teeth look great, and both Felix and Enric were very happy with how they looked.
Personally, I had forgotten how to smile naturally and was mainly happy that the whole procedure was finally over.
Enrique took some photographs that we will undoubtedly see alongside the original photos taken before starting treatment at my next check-up in 10 days. Virginia arrived with my wife Sharon, and they both said how good my teeth looked, which was great to hear.
I would recommend waiting at least 24 hours before biting into anything hard, because feeling pressure on your new teeth is not pleasant.
So here we are, a few days after my permanent teeth were fitted, and my mouth is finally starting to function as it should. Due to the number of teeth in my mouth, my jaw has had to ‘relearn’ how to chew.
An interesting side effect of this whole procedure has been that since my overbite has increased slightly, my lower jaw has also moved forward a little. This has caused my “double chin” to disappear slightly, due to the new alignment.
