When Christina Gretzer cracked her upper right molar at the age of ten, it felt like a trivial incident. The ensuing caries was fixed with an amalgam filling, but the problems continued. Decades of treatment, constant pain and problems with chewing properly followed. Finally, a painful infection made her decide to get an implant. Today, all her problems are faded memories.
The good news are that Christina’s dental problems are limited to just one tooth. All in all, she has excellent oral health, apart from that seemingly minor accident many years ago.
“Back then it was all about large amalgam fillings, but I guess they missed something further down,” says Christina. The original filling was later replaced, but the problems would not go away. She eventually got accustomed to chewing with just one side of her mouth and came to accept the constant, dull pain.
In 2015, the entire filling cracked and the tooth became infected. “There was no way back from there. I had to get the tooth fixed. My dentist, Dr. Lars-Magnus Almgren, gave me two choices, a bridge or an implant. I know that a bridge can damage the adjacent teeth. Why risk that? I chose the implant.”
Like most people facing a surgical procedure, Christina had some feelings of anxiety and discomfort. Today she is full of praise for how she was taken care of, from the initial scan all through the treatment and beyond.
“I was a bit worried but my dentist was excellent, both in terms of his surgical skills andthe way he kept me informed from day one. And the warm and attentive care from his team was really great too. To be honest, the visits there were nothing compared to the infection. And the final result is simply wonderful.”
Almost two years have passed since the procedure and things have changed for the better. “At first, I didn’t feel anything when I chewed, like a dead chew. The implant was just a thing, but it is as though my body has started to compensate for losing the real tooth and accepted its successor. Now, it simply feels normal.”
She is happy, smiles a lot, and just recently, Christina’s hygienist commended her for taking such good care of her teeth. All in all, her life has improved substantially. “It feels so good to be able to chew on both sides. If you have never felt the pain that prevents you from doing that, then you just do not understand,” Christina says, before laughing and making a confession: “My only regret is that I did not get the implant sooner.”
Name: Christina Gretzer
Age: 63
Lives: Gothenburg, Sweden
Occupation: Medical technology consultant
nice