Read Joann’s Story

Hi, my name is Joann. I’m a lifelong Philadelphian. I came to By Design Dental because I had advanced gum disease and my only option I was told was dentures. I thought I was too young for dentures and I didn’t like the restrictions so the only option I had left other than dentures was to get the All-on-4^® procedure for the upper and lower jaw and it was the best decision I ever made. They’re natural, they feel good. I can’t tell the difference between these teeth and my natural teeth. I’ve had them about a year now and I will never regret the decision. Getting the All-on-4^® made the difference in that I work in sales and self-promotion and it gave me confidence. I was worried that I would go to lunch with a client or dinner with a client and if I had dentures, the dentures would move or the dentures would fall out. I no longer have that fear and I have a lot more confidence in my smile, which makes a difference in my business.

The staff is extremely accommodating. I have a very hectic schedule; I am very work oriented. They worked around my schedule. They accommodated sudden changes, quick changes. I had a few times when I had to cancel appointments, reschedule them. They worked with me. They understood the business demands that I had and they were extremely accommodating and nice about it.

When I got the All-on-4^® I thought “Oh no. I’m going to have to have constant cleanings. I’m going to have to make my routine change. I’ll have to spend an hour a day cleaning and flossing.” As it turns out it’s really low maintenance, it’s just, you have to be persistent. You have to care for them as you would your regular teeth, so the difference it makes is that they feel natural. They don’t feel as though there is something foreign in my mouth. I can go for days with forgetting that I even have them in there so that makes a big difference, unlike dentures where I would have to clean them nightly and take them out. It makes a difference as far as not having my daily routine interrupted.

If someone is considering having this done, they have to realize that although it might be a little more expensive initially than having dentures put in, in the long term it’s probably one of the best investments I ever made because the quality of life that I have now is very different than before when I had gum disease and was worried that I’d have a temporary solution to a permanent problem.