Tracy’s Smile in a Day

Tracy Sewell had a full set of upper teeth restored with dental implant treatment at TDC Implant Centre.

Years of living with a fear of the dentist

‘My fear of dentists started with the school dentist when I was young.

Visiting them was really unpleasant and for many years after, I avoided going to the dentist for routine checks and treatment.

Eventually I had to go as I needed some crowns and root canal treatment, but that experience wasn’t good either.

After that I refused to go back.

At one point I was introduced to a good dentist by a former boss who was also terrified of the dentist, but then I moved away to the Peterborough area where I had another painful and traumatic dental experience with yet another dentist.

I was left with four crowns at the front of my mouth that were in a bad condition; you could actually see the roots of the crowns.

They were just hanging on; it was simply a matter of time before one of the front ones would fall off.

In fact, I’d lost a tooth on the left-hand side and had gone as far as to glue in a fake tooth just to try and cover it up.’

I was very self-conscious about my teeth

‘I was self-conscious about my teeth all the time, in interviews, meetings and socially as well.

I’m quite outgoing and I do laugh and giggle a lot, but I would always cover my face and avoid being in photographs.

Whenever I did get caught on camera I hated it, and if ever I took a selfie myself, I would edit it so you couldn’t see my teeth or so they looked better.

It was restricting my nature.’

Embarrassment drove me to look for a solution

‘Fortunately, my teeth weren’t painful. It was embarrassment about how my teeth looked and being uncomfortable socially that made me start looking for a solution.

As they were in a very poor condition, I knew I had to do something pretty drastic even though I was so terrified of the dentist.

I’d heard about same-day implants from TDC’s radio ads and was drawn by the Smile in a Day aspect.

I liked the fact that they could do it all in a short period of time, simply going to have the surgery on the day and coming out with a good set of fixed teeth.

It was the quick turnaround and the painlessness of the surgery that attracted me.’

Researching the right place to go

‘As well as hearing the radio ads, I also remembered seeing something about Dr Michael Zybutz (TDC Lead Surgeon and Specialist Periodontist) on TV.

I read some of the testimonials and reviews on their website written by other TDC patients who had similar and even worse conditions than I had, and I liked what I saw.

I could see that they had similar histories and dental problems and were very scared of dentists, and they’d all had the Smile in a Day implants.

They all indicated it wasn’t painful, which was obviously a big deal for me.

That’s when I thought it could be the right solution for me.

Because TDC specialised in providing this dental implant surgery and fixed teeth in one day, and because they were so experienced in looking after patients with a fear of the dentist, I plucked up the courage and I went to see them.’

My initial consultation

‘My initial consultation was with my implant dentist, Dr Martin Zunde, who looked after the look, fit and function of my new teeth.

Working myself up to even go into TDC was difficult, but the staff there were really good.

They were very caring, very professional and very friendly.

They made me feel comfortable even though I was gripping onto the chair with all my strength from being so terrified, but they were able to get me to relax and talked through what was going to happen.

They explained all about the implant treatment, how I would have the temporary set of fixed teeth for a period of time, and that I would have the final, long-lasting set after that.’

The day I got my new smile

‘They had explained the treatment right from the moment I walked into TDC, so I knew what to expect on surgery day.

I met the rest of the team; the anaesthetist and Dr Michael, the implant surgeon. My patient co-ordinator, Clair, sat with me and even held my hand at one point just to make sure I was happy and comfortable.’

It really was painless

‘They had told me the actual surgery would be painless, and it really was painless. I can hand on heart tell anyone that it’s not at all painful.

Seeing my new teeth for the first time

“At the end of the day when they put a mirror in front of me, I gave the biggest grin you’ve ever seen.

Whilst I had high expectations, they exceeded all of them.

I hadn’t smiled that widely for so many years because of the embarrassment, and it was brilliant.

I just had a big beaming smile.

They’d done a brilliant job.

Even though that was just the first temporary set, they were 100% better than my original teeth so I would’ve quite happily continued with them in place – they looked really good from day one.

I walked out of that dental surgery with a good smile and everybody complimented me on my smile from that point onwards.

Three months later, I went back to have the final set of teeth placed.

Once again, I was absolutely delighted and walked out of there with a great big beaming smile.’

The aftercare was really good

‘The aftercare treatment was really good as well.

They sent me home on surgery day with a little pack that included dental brushes, mouthwash and all sorts of hygiene equipment to make sure I looked after my new teeth in the three-month period before I got my final set.

They also talked to me about dental care, how to look after my teeth, what I needed to do and what I could and shouldn’t eat during that initial period.’

The difference Smile in a Day has made to my life

‘Since my treatment, I’ve started smiling again.

From the moment I had my teeth done I started taking selfies, posting on social media and telling people to have a look. People that knew me well recognised the difference straight away.

Being able to eat again without worrying is also great.

However, it was the confidence my new teeth brought that was really the biggest thing for me.

Being able to be myself again, to smile and laugh and not feel embarrassed anymore – it’s fantastic.’

I just wish I’d gone to TDC 10 years earlier

‘I’d heard of TDC, I’d seen them advertise Smile in a Day and I’d thought about it. But I’d put it off as I was scared.

They didn’t put any pressure on me at all, but they encouraged me and made me feel comfortable. In doing so, they made me feel confident in their ability.

Knowing how it’s worked out, how amazing they were right from the moment I went in, how it’s built up my confidence in dentists, how I feel about myself and how I feel about my smile – I just wish I’d done it 10 years earlier.’

What I’d say to anyone considering Smile in a Day at TDC Implant Centres

‘I would recommend TDC to family and friends, and absolutely anyone.

I cannot fault them.

I cannot fault the staff as they’ve been absolutely brilliant.

If anyone out there has similar circumstances – if they are afraid of dentists, if they’ve got problems with their teeth – 100% contact TDC .

They are absolutely exceptional.

I trusted what they were going to do and trusted what they were saying to me and how it was going to go. They followed through on that and delivered everything they promised.’

Book your free, no-obligation consultation

Our award-winning teams have helped hundreds of patients with loose and missing teeth, restoring functioning teeth and self-confidence with our Smile in a Day same-day dental implant treatment.

To see how we can help you, book your free consultation with one of our experienced implant dentists, and take the first step to a new smile.