June 29, 2012

David gets his makeover in KL

David is from Melbourne. He wrote to me after stumbling upon this blog last month.

We corresponded by email where I detailed the costs and time needed to do veneers and crowns … he needed to be in Kuala Lumpur for at least a week so the technicians could do the crowns … the composite veneers would take me less than an hour.

Last week David came in for his appointment together with his 2 year old grandson Cooper and his son-in-law Darren. They had traveled to Kuala Lumpur just to complete his dental work!

It was more than worth the cost of travel and time … the costs of doing a crown in Melbourne is easily 3 times the cost of doing the same in KL.

David needed to fill in his bottom teeth

Besides, David probably wouldn’t have found someone willing to do the composite veneers anyway … most dentists would rather do only crowns.

I was looking forward to meeting David last Thursday, though I must admit, it was going to be ‘interesting’ as I hadn’t seen him in person.

David is a lovely gentleman … he has retired to Melbourne from New Zealand, and looks after his grandson Cooper who is one very lucky boy to have such a doting grandpa (Cooper calls his grandad Papa!)

We sat down on that first visit and did the initial examination and treatment plan .

It turned out that we could complete all the work in just two visits … David needed some veneers to correct the spaces that had developed in his front teeth and to blend the crown he had done in Melbourne just before he came to KL.

The crown had taken a few weeks to do in Melbourne, so when I told David that we’d be able to complete everything … and I mean everything! … in 7 days.

David was amazed.

“You mean it’ll all be done by next Thursday?” David was incredulous.

“Yes … I’ll do the makeover for the front teeth first, then the preparations for the bridges and you’ll walk out of the clinic today with a whole new smile.” I assured him.

“The temporary bridges will be in place so you can get used to having them in, before we cement the permanent bridges next Thursday.” I said. “That way you’ll be able to tell me if you need any adjustments, as you’ll still be in Malaysia until you leave 4 days later.”

We ended up doing 3 bridges!

The whole cost for doing EVERYTHING was about the cost of two crowns in Australia! … and David did about 5 veneers and 9 crowns (three 3-unit bridges) … no wonder we have so many patients coming in from Australia these days!

I worked, whilst Darren looked after Cooper who is a real angel … he just sat in his stroller and when he got bored, Darren took him for a walk whilst I did my magic for Papa David.

I asked David if they were going to the beaches in Malaysia during the week that we needed to complete the bridges.

David said they were just planning to relax at the hotel, especially at the poolside, as Cooper would be happiest messing around there.

Today, all three of them came in tanned! They obviously had spent a lot of time poolside!

Cooper was much more talkative and inquisitive … he walked around the clinic, skipped and he obviously missed his mother, Chelsea, as he kept calling us all Mama!

He’s such an adorable 2-year old!

Papa David wasn’t nervous at all this time.

We took off the temporary bridges, fitted and cemented the permanent bridges.

David said he had sent the ‘Before’ and ‘After’ photos (the ones with his temporary bridges) to his friends who were curious as to how the makeover had gone so far.