From hiding my smile to loving it: Margaret's full arch journey

Deciding to take the first step

Margaret came to us having spent twelve years avoiding photographs. "I'd learned to smile with my mouth closed," she told us. "I didn't realise how much of my personality I was hiding until it was fixed."

Like many patients, Margaret had put off enquiring because she assumed the process would mean travelling to a distant implant surgeon clinic, lengthy hospital appointments, and costs she couldn't manage. None of those assumptions turned out to be true.

The consultation

Margaret was seen at her local partner practice — a ten minute drive from home. Carl spent forty-five minutes with her, explained every option clearly, and was frank about what was and wasn't possible. A 3D scan was taken to assess her bone levels.

"He showed me the scan on a screen and walked me through it like I was intelligent, which I appreciated. I'd had other consultations where I felt like I was being talked at rather than talked to."

The treatment itself

Margaret required a full arch restoration on her upper jaw — six implants supporting a fixed, permanent bridge. The treatment was spread across four visits to the local partner practice over six months, each scheduled around Carl's fortnightly visits.

The placement itself took just under two hours. "I genuinely expected it to be worse," she said. "I felt pressure, not pain. I drove myself home."

The result

Margaret's restoration was fitted eight months ago. She has since been on two holidays, attended her daughter's wedding, and — for the first time in over a decade — appears in the photographs.

"I keep catching myself smiling in shop windows. It sounds silly but I'd forgotten what my real smile looked like."