2015年3月10日
I can't believe how much they are growing on me.
Dear Dr. Yuriko,
My Riegel telescope dentures are truly wonderful! Day in and day out they function as a part of my body. Thank you so much, Dr. Yuriko. Not only for treating me, but also for being my dentist.
I am writing about my experience so that it can be used as a reference by other people who are worrying about the condition of their teeth.
How I came across Inaba Dental Office
My teeth have had problems since I was a child, but I was always afraid of the dentist.
I know I should have visited the dentist a few times every year, but I don't even remember the face of the dentist I was going to or even how his examination room was decorated! (I must have been terrified. It's quite a mystery.)
When I was around 30 years old, I mustered up my courage and spent a whole year getting my upper and lower jaw treated. At that time, the lower jaw, in which I recently had false teeth put in at Inaba Dental Office, needed a bridge for the molars on the left and the right. Since that time, I had gone in for overall checkups and plaque removal about once every 3 months, and I was able to avoid any major treatment for about 10 years.
When I was about 43 years old, I remember feeling an awkwardness in the teeth on one side of my jaw while eating, (I think it was while eating something hard?) I went to the dentist and he told me that my bridge was broken.
I had to get partial dentures but they hurt so bad that I could not bite. The teeth supporting the clasps that were holding my false teeth in place began to hurt so bad so I eventually gave up on even wearing my dentures. It became harder and harder for me to continue to go to the same clinic even though I had always gone for scheduled checkups before. It is no wonder the bridge on the other side broke as well after one year since I was chewing everything on that side of my mouth (by that time, I had completely stopped using my dentures).
As you would expect, I began to think about various ways to take care of this. I visited a clinic to discuss getting implants, but it became clear that implants were not a viable option. (I would have needed multiple surgeries to increase the amount of bone in my jaw so that I had a place to stick the implants in. This part of the treatment alone would have taken a year and a half and there was no guarantee that it would have worked.) Also, at that time, my fear of dentists came back strong. It was so scary. I couldn't even look at the dentist's face when talking to him. I started to look all over for information about dentures and that is when I found the homepage for Inaba Dental Office!
At Inaba Dental Office
I was a little lost at first because the clinic is so far from where I live. But after reading the information of the homepage I decided that I should try to go in for consultation. That was when I first decided to come in.
My first meeting time meeting Dr. Yuriko!
She kindly listened to my history and my worries and politely answered my questions. After that she explained to me, what she thought would be the best treatment for me at the time and also down the road. I was so relieved after she explained to me clearly all of these things and told me how long treatment would take and how it would proceed. All of my anxieties were put to rest and I felt like I could leave everything to Dr. Yuriko.
So I decided to begin treatment on my next visit.
I went to the clinic at a pace of once every 1 or 2 months (She was very sensitive to the fact that I lived far away and insisted that we schedule appointments that did not conflict with my schedule, even if this made her schedule more busy) and within half of a year my dentures (Riegel telescope) were complete. This concludes the story of how I got my dentures.
The reason why I felt safe leaving everything to Dr. Yuriko was not only that she made me a wonderful set of dentures (they gave me a better bite and are protecting my remaining teeth), but also she, her staff, and the clinic in general provided such a warm atmosphere. Every time I went there, I felt more courageous. In fact, the first time I ever shed tears before a doctor as an adult was at Inaba Dental Office.
And those tears were not because I was afraid, but because I was so happy. The treatment itself was superb but what was more was that they were concerned about how I would spend the next day after treatment without any inconveniences. When treatment went smooth and finished before schedule, they always tried to help me enjoy Tokyo, since I had come from so far. They always made me feel warm and welcome even though I was far from home.
Everyone probably has their own way of choosing a doctor, but I can truly say that the doctors at this clinic are happy to be dentists and put themselves in the patients' shoes in order to provide the best treatment possible. For this reason, I feel very lucky to have met the playful (Sorry, Dr. Yuriko! This is going to get out when you see my blog!) and wonderful Dr. Yuriko. I have complete faith that she is a doctor to whom I can entrust my well-being.
And I will also talk a little about my dentures, which are the main point of this write-up (I received Riegel telescope treatment but since the front teeth in my lower jaw didn't need treatment, I have those covered with outer caps and they are acting as support for my lower dentures which work kind of like a full detachable bridge).
It has only been one month since finishing treatment, but every day my body gets more used to these dentures. It is quite surprising.
The first 10 days or so there was a slight awkwardness, but there was practically no pain and I was able to bite (the first day after treatment I jumped right into a bowl of beef tendon curry). Rather, my bite felt stronger than when I had my bridges, and I have become more able to enjoy meals with each passing day.
I am looking forward to see just how much more these dentures become a part of my body!
*All feedback from patients on this website are the personal reflections of the patients and experiences may differ from case to case.
