Decayed and Chipped front teeth Repaired with Dental Crowns
Background: I will never forget Susan. Susan was a secretary with a full, happy life. She lived in a condo in Mission Viejo with her beloved cats. One day, she decided to get healthy and lose weight for good. She elected Lap- Band surgery to help her shed the extra pounds.
The surgery resulted in terrible complications, and four months later she had it reversed. Unfortunately, as a side effect of the surgery, she developed an autoimmune disease called Guillain-Barre Syndrome. She was partially paralyzed and suffering from tremors that made it difficult to take care of herself. She had arthritis in her knees and was confined to a wheelchair. By the age of 52, Susan had lost everything and had moved between four different nursing home facilities to get proper treatment.
In addition to the ongoing pain and suffering as a result of the surgery, Susan was very insecure about her smile. She loved to smile and talk, but years of neglect had caused visible chips and decay in her front teeth.
Despite everything she had been through, Susan still believed in the power of kindness. She went online and emailed every cosmetic dentist she could find, asking if they would take her case as pro bono work. If she had to be stuck in a wheelchair, she at least wanted a nice smile and a healthy mouth.
Out of the many emails and letters she sent out, I was the only one to respond as soon as I got her email. She came in and we examined and evaluated her smile. I asked what her primary concern was, and what her ultimate wish was for her dental treatment. She wanted to be able to smile and talk normally. She hadn’t been smiling for years and she was embarrassed to talk to people. After she got Guillain-Barre Syndrome, she was physically unable to get around on her own, so she was in the nursing facility 24/7. She couldn’t work anymore, but she wanted to make new friends and get to know the other people she was living with. I said we could do that for her.
Treatment: We evaluated her smile and fixed all of her upper front teeth with porcelain jacket crowns. We repaired a lot of fillings. I considered veneers for her, but the decay was so severe that crowns were a better option.
End Result: In just two visits, she realized her dream and once again she was happy that she could smile and bite into things. The cost of treatment was obviously impossible for her to bear, and as such I completed her care at no charge. Even though she was paralyzed and could not walk, at least we could bring a smile to her face.
Dr. Sid Solomon received his Bachelor of Science Degree from UCLA. He received his Doctor of Dental Medicine Degree from the University of the Pacific. Dr. Solomon continues to foster his education in the dental field to this very day. He has completed extensive seminars and lecture well exceeding state requirements. He has completed a multitude of advanced dental courses such as Full Mouth Reconstruction, Advanced Function Aesthetics, Practical Occlusion for the Progressive Practice, Mastering Neuromuscular Occlusion, Comprehensive Aesthetic Reconstructionand Neuromuscular Coronoplasty and Case Finishing at the Las Vegas Insitute for Advanced Dental Studies.