BEFORE                              AFTER

This patient joined the village dental practice in October 2011.  The patient had not been to the dentist in over 10 years as she was frightened of needles.  She was prompted to come to the dentist as she had broken a tooth.  The patient was very unhappy with the appearance of her upper teeth and was interested to know what could be done and would fit into her budget.

After having a full case assessment with Mr Ghai, a treatment plan was designed.  The treatment plan included tooth whitening, veneers, crowns and a bridge.

The first step was to start the tooth whitening, the patient used a home tooth whitening tray system for a little over 2 weeks.  Once the patient was happy with the colour of her teeth we then could proceed to the preparation for the crowns/bridge and veneers.  This was done over two appointments.  The first appointment was the preparation stage which was sent to the laboratory and one week later the permanent work was fitted.

                 Before                                        During                                After

February 2011 I tripped over a dog while running and broke 3 of my front teeth off at gum level.  I immediately contacted Westlands Dental Studio as this was the first place I thought to go for help.  The receptionist was caring and supportive, I took time to calm down from the shock and then Mr Ghai  saw me.  Mr Ghai was unable to do anything at that point but arranged for me to see his colleague Mr Somal at the Village Dental Practice in Whickham the following day to have the teeth temporary restored.  I was aware at that point the fractured teeth needed to be extracted in the future.

Mr Ghai had said how fortunate I was to have a Dental Plan as this had insurance for trauma.  This meant I was able to afford implants.  Without the insurance I would have had to wear a denture for the rest of my life which I did not want to do.

Mr Ghai saw me for the rest of the treatment as I was having implants.  I was worried about the treatment especially the extractions but I need not have been.  The procedure went smoothly and was pain free .  The treatment was also done with great care.  The work that followed was equally straight forward, I was put at ease through every stage by Mr Ghai and the dental team.  They explained what was the next stage and very accommodating with appointments when I needed it.

The whole process took seven months as each stage needed time to heal properly before the next could begin.  The implants are comfortable and strong, easy to keep clean.  I am over the moon with the implants and think they look better than my original teeth.  I expect them to last for many years to come.

Not being much of a walker, and definitely not a camper, trekking up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, seemed to be a challenge that most of my family and friends never envisaged me accepting! However, the inherent dare devil and thrill seeker (deep inside me) saw an adventure that would push my physical and emotional boundaries, in an attempt to reach the peak of the world’s highest free-standing mountain, and the highest point in Africa. The trek to the summit, 5895m above sea level, was to take six nights and seven days from the western side of the mountain. My dear friend Varsha (also from Newcastle) and I, didn’t get off to the best of starts when en route to the start of the trek, due to the wet conditions, our minibus veered off into the side of the mountain. We subsequently had to walk for 3 ½ hours to get to the start point, and subsequently did the rest of the trek by torch light. The second day was again a long, gruelling walk, also ending in arriving to camp by torch light! However, this was to be great practice for summit night, when after a morning of walking, followed by a couple of large meals and time to rest, we started for summit at 11pm. Wearing as many clothes as physically possible to keep out the severely freezing temperature, we trudged slowly up the rocky terrain through snow and sometime hail, only being able to see as far as the boots of the person in front of you. Altitude sickness affected all of us to some extent, ranging from headaches to nausea and vomiting. After what seemed a lifetime of walking, only stopping for a few quick toilet breaks, we were lucky enough to see the most beautiful dawn as day broke over the mountain. For the first time we could see the path before us and the top of the mountain in site. This gave us much needed renewed energy and around 6.30am, we reached Stella Point (5752m) one of the three peaks on the crater rim. Overcome with emotion, we all enjoyed a warmish cup of tea, kindly carried by one of our marvellous summit porters. There was still another hour to walk around the crater rim, over to the highest point, Uhuru Peak. As we tread wearily over to the summit, we were greeted by spectacular views of glaciers on the side of the mountain, and the vast crater itself and it was truly overwhelming to see the joy of success on the faces of our fellow trekkers. After a few minutes break to take photographs, we had to start on the arduous descent back to camp, to ensure we arrived before lunch so as to be able to walk onto the next campsite! For the first time since arriving on the mountain, needless to say, I slept like a baby that night!

I feel extremely privileged to have had this truly unforgettable experience, and at the same time raise over £3000 for ‘Vision Africa’ charity.

I would like to thank all of my sponsors, especially Westlands Dental Studio for being extremely generous with their sponsorship of my trip, to help make this all possible.

One of the dental laboratory’s we use is a registered supplier of  the OrthoApnea appliance in the UK.  We have to send impressions to the laboratory for the anti snoring appliance to be made, this takes 2 weeks.

“I wear the OrthoApnea every night and find it comfortable to wear.  The snoring has totally stopped and I am very happy as I can now have a good nights sleep.”

To find out more about OrthoApnea please visit – www.orthoapnea.com

Below are the before and after pictures of the treatment and how the patient has felt about the treatment.

                 Before treatment                                             After treatment

“The dentist himself was very kind, reassuring and keen to make sure there is no pain and that the work was perfect.  The work was painless and the results were amazing.

I have a new smile and with my job it has improved it 100% (I’m a professional dancer).  I could not be happier.  Since having the treatment done not only have people noticed the work but they have also asked for contact details of the dentist.”

Patients apply whitening gel to the custom made trays which they wear overnight for 2 weeks.  The level of whiteness vary between person to person but below are a couple of examples of the results we had from Westlands Dental studio.

Before                                                                                               After

I had the extraction done in October 2010.  A special extraction was carried out to preserve bone.  I did have a little bit of pain after the extraction which I took regular painkillers.  After a few weeks I had an assessment where x-rays, pictures and models were taken of my teeth.  In December 2010 the first stage of the implant was carried out.  I was a little apprehensive prior to the treatment but once the local anaesthtic had been given I felt at ease.  After the treatment I had very little discomfort.

The next stage was in April 2011 when the implant was uncovered to see how well it had healed.  After that I needed a couple of appointments in preparation of the implant crown which would be placed.  My treatment ended towards the end of May 2011 and I am over the moon with the result. 

Mr Ghai and the rest of the team have been great and I would not hesitate  to have another implant.

The treatment involved having impressions taken and custom made trays were made from these.  We supply 2 weeks of gel which is applyed to the trays every night before going to bed.

Below are some before and after pictures of patients who had the home whitening treatment.

Before                                          After

Before                                               After

The patient decided to go ahead with 6 months smile for the upper and lower teeth.  The treatment took around 8 months from having the brace fitted to it been removed.

Below are pictures of before, during and after treatment.

“The 6 Months Smile treatment has given me more confidence in life, I smile on all photo’s which I did’nt do before.

The treatment I recieved from Mr Somal has been 1st class from start to finish.  I would recommend this practice and treatment to anyone.  Thank you.”

                                                             Before treatment

I had wanted something done with my teeth for a long time and had discussed different options with the dentists at the practice to correct my problem. The options that was given to me were braces or cosmetic veneers.

After discussing my options with Mr Somal I found that 6 Months Smile was my best option because of the length of time the treatment takes.

I had the brace fitted in April 2010, the first week was a little sore and difficult to get used to.  After the first week I became a lot more comfortable with them.  I had to keep coming in once a month to have the wires changed.

The braces were taken off in September 2010 and i was amazed at the end result even though I could see the teeth moving throughout the treatment.  Lots of people have noticed a difference in my smile.  I feel much more confident about smiling now.

After the treatment I decided to do the home teeth whitening.  That involved getting whitening trays made and applying the whitening gel to the trays every night for 2 weeks and sleeping with the trays in overnight.  I experienced a little bit of sensitivity but once I finished the treatment my smile was extremely white.

The service has been fantastic, Mr Somal was really helpful and put me at ease throughout the treatment.

                                                              After treatment