Gloria’s case study. Christmas comes early for Gloria
The perfect gift from husband Alan
Gloria is one of the loveliest people you could ever meet. She has a natural warmth that lights up any room and she loves to sing. But sadly, in recent years this hasn’t been the case.
The reason? A history of dental problems caused Gloria to feel self-conscious, regularly covering her mouth, shying away in the corner on nights out and having too much discomfort to sing.
Then in July, a visit to the Denture Clinic at North Street in Dudley has in her own words: “Put the smile back on my face and allowed me to be myself again.”
Years of dental problems
Gloria’s story began 20 years ago when an over-friendly Labrador jumped up, knocking out her front tooth in the process. “I couldn’t believe it when the dog knocked out my tooth. It really affected me and was the start of years and years of dental problems.”
Gloria was having problems with not only her replacement front tooth but continual issues with other teeth that were incompatible and uncomfortable.
“I never felt confident to eat on any of my replacement teeth and some of them were fitting so badly that when people saw me, they actually thought I’d had a stroke.
“Then one day I saw an advert for North Street in the paper and I mentioned it to my friend. By pure coincidence, she had used the clinic before and said they were fantastic.
“I realised within one appointment that the staff are so accommodating, they put you at ease, they book flexible appointments and you just feel so relaxed.
“Within a few weeks, they didn’t even feel like dentists and receptionists anymore. They felt like my family.”
Practice Principal Steven Burchell Dip CDT RCS Eng GDC 108353 remembers his first meeting with Gloria:
“I could tell from the moment I met Gloria that she has such a bubbly infectious personality and when she explained how the issues with her teeth were holding her back I was happy to help.
“After an initial consultation, we suggested a full set of dentures with implants on the lower jaw, which is one of our most popular treatments. I explained this would take around 4 months and she was happy to go ahead with that.”
Gloria picks up the story and recalls how her husband helped make her dream come true. “I went home and spoke to my wonderful husband Alan and when he saw how much it meant to me he said that he would buy it as a gift from him to me.”
Confidence restored
One of the highlights for Gloria since her treatment has been taking her first ever holiday abroad to Spain and she reveals how it made the holiday one to remember.
“To go on holiday with the confidence of my new teeth meant I was smiling all week I was singing at the bar and even the local comedian asked me if he could have my teeth because they looked so perfect. “This holiday would have been so different if I was constantly worrying about my teeth.”
So, what next for Gloria? Well, she already has plans to make the most of her new smile.“Anyone will tell you, I sing in the supermarket, I sing in the shower and I love to sing wherever I am. Now I will be really belting them out.”
And the best thing about having a new smile with reliable dental work? “I haven’t eaten anything chewy for so long that I have basically been craving a bacon sandwich for about 15 years. Now I can finally have one!”
As Gloria finished up our interview, she wanted to make one final point, saying: “If anyone ever asks me whether they should have this treatment, I would tell them not to hesitate and I would point them straight in the direction of my friends at the Denture Clinic.”
Gloria after her treatment at North Street Dental
Watch Gloria’s reaction to her new dentures
