The Full-Arch Implant Process: A Story of Being Able to Smile Again

Lee Jang-wook, Chief Director

Hello.

A place that does its best

for a healthy smile

This is Etoile de Seoul Dental Clinic.

Today, I want to share a truly special story with you. Last winter, Ms. Im Bok-rye, who had struggled with dentures for 15 years, found a new life through the full-arch implant process. It is a moving journey.

I would like to share the moments of that transformation with you: how she, who first came to us in tears, came to smile brightly again. I hope this story can be a small source of hope for those who are facing the same concerns right now.

We take care of your dental health.

A meeting that began with tears

Last winter, Ms. Im Bok-rye, who was in her late 70s, came to us supported by her daughter-in-law. When she first arrived, she broke into tears and said this:

"Director, I really want to give up now. I have worn dentures for 15 years, and there has not been a single comfortable day. It hurts every time I eat, my speech leaks when I talk with my grandchildren, and I feel embarrassed... I feel sorry to my daughter-in-law, so I cry every night."

Her hands kept trembling. The sight of her speaking so carefully, always worried that her dentures might fall out, pained my heart. Her daughter-in-law also cried beside her, saying, "I don’t know when I last saw my mother-in-law smile."

Small pains in everyday life

Ms. Im Bok-rye’s day was a continuous series of hardships. From the moment she woke up in the morning, putting in her dentures was how the day began. When she ate, she always had to cut food into small pieces and chew carefully, and she had long since given up on hard foods.

"Whenever my grandson said, 'Grandma, let’s eat apples together,' it hurt my heart. I would say, 'Grandma is full,' because I was afraid he would be disappointed if I said I couldn’t eat it."

She said family gatherings were especially difficult. Even while eating with the rest of the family, she would eat porridge by herself, or cover her mouth with her hand every time she spoke because she was afraid her dentures might slip.

The beginning of change

After carefully examining her condition, we found that although her jawbone had become significantly weakened, with a precise approach, the full-arch implant process could help her recover. When we explained that tooth function could be restored using 4 to 6 implants, I saw a first glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Will I really be able to eat like I used to again?" Her trembling voice showed how deeply she wished for that.

On the day of surgery, all of her family members were waiting outside. After 2 to 3 hours had passed and we fitted her with a temporary prosthesis, Ms. Im Bok-rye smiled brightly for the first time. "Oh my, are these really my teeth?"

Miraculous changes

A week after the surgery, Ms. Im Bok-rye contacted us.

"Director, for the first time in 15 years, I slept soundly last night. I wasn’t in pain from the dentures, and I didn’t have to worry about them falling out. It feels like a dream."

One month later, on the day we fitted the final prosthesis, she came with her daughter-in-law, and her face looked completely different. Her mouth corners were full of confidence, and she no longer covered her mouth with her hand when speaking.

"I ate the braised short ribs my daughter-in-law made for me properly for the first time in a long while. And I read a fairy tale book to my grandson, and because my speech didn’t leak, he said, 'Grandma's voice sounds better.'"

At that moment, she smiled brightly and said this to me: "Thanks to you, Director, I feel like I’ve become my old self again. Thank you so much."

Another story of hope

Ms. Im Bok-rye is not the only one. Not long ago, a father in his early 60s came to us. He had lost many teeth in an accident when he was young, and he came before his daughter’s wedding.

"My daughter says she wants to take a photo with her dad smiling at the wedding. But how can I smile looking like this?..."

After going through the full-arch implant process, three months later he contacted us to say that he had taken photos at his daughter’s wedding with a truly happy smile. I still remember the sound of his laughter when he said, "My daughter said, 'Dad, you were that handsome?'"

It has now been six months since Ms. Im Bok-rye’s treatment. When she recently came in for a regular checkup, she showed me a family photo. In the picture of the whole family together, Ms. Im Bok-rye was smiling the brightest.

"Now, whenever my grandchildren come over, I enjoy thinking about what to make for them. We can eat snacks together, and we can also eat hard fruits together. My daughter-in-law also says that I have become much brighter."

She now goes hiking with her neighbors, too. She used to avoid gatherings because speaking felt burdensome, but now she even takes the lead in organizing them.

People who dream new dreams

Watching the people who have changed through the full-arch implant process, I learn a great deal myself. I realize that it is not simply about restoring teeth, but about giving people hope again in their lives.

As chewing function close to that of natural teeth is restored, not only the enjoyment of food but also the confidence to speak and the joy of smiling all change. With durability that can be used for a long time, anxiety about the future also disappears.

Whenever I see people say, "Now I’m looking forward to the future," I feel deeply moved as well. The promise that we will continue protecting their health through three years of care service also seems to give them great peace of mind.

Don’t give up hope

Some of you reading this may also be struggling like Ms. Im Bok-rye. The discomfort of dentures, sore gums, feeling discouraged in front of family... all of it must be very difficult.

But don’t give up hope. A day may come when you can smile brightly again, just like Ms. Im Bok-rye. The full-arch implant process is not just a treatment. It is the first step toward starting a new life.

Just as the warm spring comes after a cold winter passes, a warm spring will soon come to your heart as well. Imagine yourself smiling brightly with your family on that spring day. Until the day that dream becomes reality, I will be with you.

Ms. Im Bok-rye still stops by occasionally for regular checkups, sometimes just to say hello. Every time she does, she tells me, "Thanks to you, Director, my life has changed." But in truth, I am the one who receives even greater strength from people like her. You, too, will soon become the main character in such a happy story.

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