Mum left with rotting smile after avoiding the dentist for 15 YEARS finally faces her fear and splashes out £28K on new set of teeth
Terese Loverso, 51, from Victoria, Australia, lost seven teeth due to her lifelong fear of going to the dentist and suffered gum disease, infections and bad breath
A MUM left with a rotting smile after avoiding the dentist for 15 years finally confronted her fear and spent £28,000 on a new set of gnashers.
Terese Loverso, 51, from Victoria, Australia, lost seven teeth due to her lifelong phobia of going to the dentist and hated her smile.
The real estate agent suffered gum disease, infections and bad breath and said she would hyperventilate if anyone came near her mouth.
She also struggled to eat for fear of losing more teeth - but now she reckons the five-hour dental implants procedure has changed her life.
Terese claimed they have improved her relationship and even helped her to meet sales targets at work as she no longer feels self conscious working face to face with clients.
Not only that, she's also dropped 2st 3lbs.
Terese said: “I was scared to death to go to the dentist. I’ve always been that way, it started when I was very young.
"In the last couple of years my teeth had massive gaps and were all really loose. They were rotting and my breath smelled awful because of the decay.
“With each day, I became very self-conscious around my partner. My friends told me I was a pretty woman but I had to do something about my teeth."
In 2016, Terese took money out of her home equity to fund the state-of-the-art operation after her partner of 14 years, Darren, 50, booked her an appointment.
Last March, Terese visited Dental Boutique in Melbourne to remove all her teeth to make room for her new dental implants.
Two days later the mum had a new set of pearly whites after dentists inserted four separate implants into her mouth – and when she saw her new smile she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Terese said: "I knew the condition of my teeth was deteriorating and it was impacting my life. I had to do something.
“But one dentist told me I would have to be without teeth for three months and another made me feel even more anxious.
“My partner made the appointment at the dentist and he went with me, I could have never walked in there alone.
“When I looked in the mirror afterwards I couldn’t believe it. I was so amazed at how real they looked and felt.
“My face was swollen from the surgery but I was so happy, I felt instantly confident and couldn’t stop showing it off.
“Once the swelling went down my face looked slimmer. My neck has slimmed too now inflammation and infection weren’t causing my face to bloat, and my features stand out more.
“I’m a lot more confident at work now, I can’t stop smiling and talking to people, it’s changed my life.
“My relationship with my partner is of course so much better too because I’m not so self-conscious of my breath anymore. It’s rekindled the spark and our relationship is exciting and romantic once again."
Terese underwent an All-On-Four dental procedure, suitable for individuals with tooth decay, gum disease or missing teeth.
The treatment involves the placement of a full set of teeth in the mouth via four dental implants to mimic a natural-looking smile.
She took half the money from her home equity and is currently paying the other £14,000 on a payment plan offered by the dental clinic.
Terese has thanked Dental Boutique for making her feel at ease when she was afraid and anxious.
She said: “When I walked in to my consultation I instantly felt calm talking to my dentist, Reuban. He explained everything to me and even stayed after hours to meet me.
“Every time I was nervous he would calm me down and reassure me. I felt an instant trust and I knew he had my best interests at heart.
“The procedure was more expensive in my case because my teeth were rotting but it’s going to be different for everybody based on their teeth.
“I never feel like I have dental implants in, if I didn’t mention it people would think it was my real smile.
“A lot of people don’t realise that it’s not just kids that are afraid of the dentist, it can happen to anyone at any age.
“Find a dentist you are comfortable with and that you trust, it makes all the difference.
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“Now I can go to the dentist and have them touch my mouth and I don’t freak out. I walked out and my fear of going to the dentist was completely gone.”
In June we told how a woman left in agony after a dentist left a piece of metal lodged in her tooth for more than a decade won a £22,000 payout.
Last year we revealed how skipping the dentist can give you wrinkles.