Sinjeong Station Dental Clinic: How Implants Transform Your Life

Hello.

I am Kim Geun-il,

Director of 365서울원탑치과

located near Hwagok Station.

When I speak with older patients,

I often hear stories that weigh most heavily on my heart.

“My dentures are loose, so my gums get sore

every time I eat...”

“I have little energy because I can only eat porridge or tofu...”

When someone reaches an edentulous state, with no teeth remaining,

what patients lose

is not simply their “teeth.”

They lose the pleasure of eating,

the confidence to laugh freely when meeting people,

in other words, “the happiness of everyday life” itself.

Today, I would like to talk about

the philosophy I consider most important in providing implant treatment,

and how implants can offer a new life

to older patients who have lost all of their teeth.

Teeth Lost, and a Declining Quality of Life

Many older patients with no remaining teeth

initially choose dentures

because of the burden of surgery or the cost.

However, dentures that rest on the gums

provide only about 20% of the chewing force

of natural teeth.

Why chewing habits are important ★

Because patients cannot chew tough or hard foods,

nutritional imbalances may occur.

In addition, as chewing activity decreases,

blood flow to the brain may also decrease,

which can affect cognitive function.

Above all, the depression caused by avoiding family gatherings

or even going out because of the fear that dentures may come loose

during a meal is difficult to put into words.

“Full-Arch Implants” That Restore the Value of Life, Beyond Simple Treatment

For these older patients,

full-arch implants

can become the key to opening the door to a second chapter of life.

As I mentioned previously, full-arch implants

do not mean placing all 28 implants

simply because no teeth remain.

Instead, approximately 6–8 implant posts

are firmly placed in areas where the upper and lower jawbones are strong,

and tooth-shaped prostheses are connected into one unit

and secured on top.

After full-arch implant treatment,

older patients’ lives change far more

than they had expected.

1. Restoring the Pleasure of Eating

Chewing ability of more than 80% of that of natural teeth can be restored,

allowing patients to comfortably eat

tough meat and crunchy kimchi.

2. Relieving Indigestion and Improving Health

Food can be broken down finely before swallowing,

which may relieve digestive problems

and help ensure balanced nutritional intake.

Many patients who have completed full-arch implant treatment

visit us for regular checkups at one-, three-, or six-month intervals.

Each time, I often see that their weight has gradually increased.

When they shyly tell me that they have gained weight

because they are now able to eat well after treatment,

it also brings me great comfort as a dentist.

3. A Confident Smile

Wrinkles around the mouth and sunken cheeks may improve,

making patients look younger,

and allowing them to smile brightly when meeting others.

Implants are not simply about placing screws; they are about planting a new life.

365서울원탑치과 Director Kim Geun-il

There is a principle I have quietly upheld

in my treatment room.

Implant surgery is not simply

a “mechanical process” of placing titanium artificial tooth roots

in the jawbone and attaching prostheses.

It is a journey to help patients restore

their disrupted daily lives and the value of life,

so that they can once again sit around the table with their families,

share the same foods,

and smile brightly,

and so that they can speak confidently

when meeting their friends.

That is why, even when older patients with complex cases

and poor bone conditions come to see me,

or when they have systemic conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure,

I do not give up.

I continually study and make use of optimal diagnostic systems

to find a way for them to enjoy chewing food

and continue living a better life than they do now.

The time when you think it is too late is often the earliest time to act.

Are you giving up in advance because you are worried

that implants may not be possible due to your age,

or because all of your jawbone has been lost?

Today, with computer-based analysis and diagnosis using 3D CT

and advances in high-quality bone graft materials,

implant treatment may be sufficiently possible even in cases

that were considered impossible in the past.

I hope you will not give up the happiness of your later years

because of an abstract fear of surgery.

If your parent is no longer eating as they used to,

or is suffering because of loose dentures,

please do not simply endure it.

I encourage you to first seek a consultation

to find out whether a better treatment option is available.

I will strive to be dentist Kim Geun-il,

who helps older patients regain

their lost smiles and healthy appetite.

Thank you for reading this long post.

📍 365서울원탑치과의원

4th Floor, Dongmyeong M Building, 179 Gangseo-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul

Sinjeong Station Dental Clinic / Hwagok-dong Dental Clinic / Gangseo-gu Dental Clinic

1-minute walk from Exit 8 of Hwagok Station