Hannah Marsh, 22, Bath
'I got really upset with the thought of what was involved and on a number of occasions I burst into tears prior to my treatment, but everyone at The Dental Implant Clinic was really supportive and calming. They were also incredibly patient and really understood how I was feeling'.

Why Hannah Chose The Dental Implant Clinic
'I was referred to The Dental Implant Clinic by my dentist as he wanted an implantologist to look at my front tooth. Because I had previously worn a brace, I was very aware of how important it was to look after my teeth and this made it even more important that I saw an expert.'

Background
Hannah, a 22 year old art student from Bath first visited The Dental Implant Clinic when aged 19. Hannah's dentist was concerned about some redness around the gum of one of her front teeth and a crack that had formed at the top of the tooth. She was referred by her dentist to The Dental Implant Clinic, where it was diagnosed that the tooth had previously suffered severe trauma, and as  a result of this blow the tooth had died and would become loose and fall out. The trauma had occurred when she received a blow from a bottle.

The Treatment
Prior to the removal of the tooth Hannah was given all of the options for its replacement and she decided that a dental implant would provide the best long term solution. As Hannah was a student and had not been in full  time employment, her Gran offered to cover the cost of the treatment.

Just before leaving for Coventry University, Hannah visited The Dental Implant Clinic to have the tooth removed. A denture was fitted straight afterwards so that Hannah could enter university life without the added stress of a gap in her front teeth. Once the gum had healed, the implant was placed.

Three years on Hannah works part-time as a shop assistant for an action sports retailer in the heart of Bath and is entering her third year studying fine art at Bath Spa University. She hopes to undertake a three year apprenticeship as a mechanic upon leaving university.

Robert Bates, 49, Swainswick, near Bath
'For the fist time in nine years I have been able to eat an apple without chopping it into pieces...and go to a restaurant and order what I want! Cosmetically, I look in the mirror and it looks great!'

Why Robert chose The Dental Implant Clinic
Robert, a 49 year old building contractor from near Bath, had long term problems with an upper front tooth since it snapped when he was aged only 18. The tooth was capped for approximately twenty years, and more recently, for the past nine years, he had a false tooth fixed to the snapped tooth by a metal post. Whilst working around the corner from the Clinic, Robert ran into the practice at 8.30am as the tooth had become loose. Although he did not have an appointment and had never visited the practice before, a consultation was arranged with Jonathan Schofield later that day.

The Treatment
During the consultation it became clear that Robert's tooth needed to be extracted. Because of an unpleasant experience as a child, Robert had always been nervous of any dental procedure. The tooth was therefore extracted and replaced with a temporary bridge whilst Robert was under sedation. This meant that on the day of the extraction Robert had a tooth still in situ, and at no stage did he have to have a gap in his teeth.

Robert was then advised of all the options that were open to him and he chose a dental implant because he did not want to wear a denture or a bridge. After about six weeks of healing, the implant was placed and left in situ for approximately ten weeks, after which time the bridge was removed and the implant tooth restored. Just five months after the initial consultation, Robert's treatment was complete.

Robert has been delighted with the treatment and all along he has been particularly impressed by the fact that he has felt no pain at any stage. He said, 'Immediately after the placement of the tooth upon the implant I felt confident to eat whatever I liked. It looks great too!'

Ann Hart-Ives, 67, Chippenham, Wiltshire
'I had a denture for a couple of years and, to be honest, I didn't really enjoy smiling because everyone could see the gold clips. Since I have had the dental implants, I have felt more confident and my friends have said that I smile more.'

Why Ann chose The Dental Implant Clinic
'I was referred to The Dental Implant Clinic by my dentist. From the initial consultation, I was impressed how charming Jonathan was and I felt completely at ease as everything was explained to me clearly throughout my treatment.'

Background
Ann, a retired 67 year old from Chippenham, Wiltshire was referred to The Dental Implant Clinic as she disliked wearing a denture because it seemed a very large and uncomfortable replacement for just three missing teeth. Ann needed three implants on her upper left side with a sinus bone graft.

The Treatment
Ann's treatment was in two phases. The first phase was to perform a sinus bone graft where by some extra bone was added to enable the implants to be well anchored.. The sinus bone graft needed six months to consolidate during which time Ann continued to wear her denture so that at no stage was she left with gaps. Ann said: 'Although the thought of a sinus bone graft was quite daunting, I found it a completely painless experience.'

Ann kindly agreed to participate in Jonathan Schofield's teaching course and the three implants were placed by a dentist under Jonathan's supervision at The Dental Implant Clinic. Jonathan then went on to restore the implants, carefully placing the teeth on top and ensuring everything was cosmetically beautiful. After her treatment, Ann had three very firm implants and no longer has to wear a denture.

On completion of the treatment, Ann said: 'I was surprised how easy and painless the whole process was. It was also very comforting to be treated by an expert who, along side all of the nurses, helped me through every step of the treatment.'

Jane Hills, 44, Bristol
'For over 30 years I haven’t been able to bite into an apple. I also never really realised how having wobbly teeth made me feel so insecure and I really did lack confidence. My new implants have definitely made me feel more confident and relaxed and they will last forever.'

Why Jane chose The Dental Implant Clinic
'I was referred by my dentist to The Dental Implant Clinic as he felt that implants were the only solution to my ongoing problems with my two front teeth. On meeting Jonathan Schofield for my initial consultation, I was very impressed by his professionalism, and the before and after pictures of previous patient cases really convinced me to take the dental implant route.'

Background
Jane, now aged 44, was knocked over by a car aged 11, and as a result of the accident, her two front teeth had experienced a severe trauma and subsequently died. For almost three decades, Jane had received extensive dental work including crowns and bridges. These had continued to fail and Jane also experienced a number of abscesses as a result of the problems with her two front teeth.

Jane has a variety of jobs, all of which involve close interaction with people on a day to day basis. Not only does Jane coach companies in communication skills, she also works in a clothes shop and is one of the comedy performers for Instant Wit, a live improvised comedy company that performs at venues in and around Bristol.

The Treatment
Because of the huge amount of dental work Jane had previously received, she had become quite nervous and was concerned about the implant treatment. Jane says: 'I certainly wasn’t the model patient as I didn’t feel very relaxed about the treatment.'

The Dental Implant Clinic explained to Jane that all of the major work could be carried out under sedation and also suggested that she have a friend accompany her to offer support prior to being sedated. Following the initial consultation, the two teeth were carefully removed and replaced by two implants. During the period that the implants were healing, a denture was fitted. Jane said: 'I got so used to the false teeth that I didn’t even realise when I had them in.'

Jane said on completion of the treatment: 'This has been such a relief. I have definitely reached the end of the road. A real full stop from the legacy of the initial trauma I suffered.'