The story of people who came before you

Rotterdam
After walking with pain for decades, the treatment started about three years ago with the choice for implants instead of the frames (both upper and lower jaw) that I had worn up to that point for a period of ten years. The reason for this was that the frame no longer fit optimally and the associated complaints with a frame, such as the constant pressure on the gums and jaw, especially on the lower left due to the absence of almost all molars.
It soon became clear that my gums were in very poor condition. One of the prerequisites for dental restoration (initially partial) is healthy gums. They brought about a turning point in my awareness of dental hygiene. After the placement of the implants, with recovery periods of 8 to 16 weeks (depending on the location in the jaw), orthodontics was used in the interim period to try to improve the position of the various elements. Personally, I did not experience this period as positive. I never got the impression that the orthodontist was working towards an end result. To me, and I want to emphasize that it is by no means my intention to generalize, it all seemed very makeshift. Of course, I communicated this with Dr. L. Visch, in whose practice the orthodontics took place. There, I experienced a completely different approach to the 'patient'. I didn't even feel like a patient, but more like part of a whole team. That gives a very different feeling when you're in the chair.
The treatments (including root canal treatments and treatments of remaining caries, often using a microscope) were sometimes very tough. Some treatments lasted the whole day. But precisely because of the team approach, I gained just that bit of trust and perseverance to successfully endure these treatments as well. You do notice that as the final phase approaches, the proverbial burden becomes heavier. In that final phase, the role of the dental technician also comes into play.
As a patient, you often think a crown is just a crown, but nothing could be further from the truth.
The impressive achievement of turning a situation with a very difficult (over)bite into a more suitable bite must, of course, be perfected by the dental technicians. In my case, those from the Esthetic Dental Team in Hilversum. Here too, it quickly became clear that it was a team, and I felt at ease fairly quickly. At one point, I traveled to Hilversum to give the dental technicians the opportunity to physically examine the 'patient' in question, and not, as is usually the case in my opinion, only via a plaster impression. On Friday, June 13, 2008, the day finally arrived that I had been looking forward to for three years. The permanent crowns would be placed.
After placement, I was handed a mirror. I must say, I became quite emotional (in a positive way). What a work of art the gentlemen had made of it. My wish has come true. A very natural appearance. People who don't know me can't tell that these are crowns. They even took into account certain lighting and color schemes. For the first time in about 20 (!) years, I can put my molars together again and eat reasonably normally (I'm still very careful). This should give a positive turn to the quality of life. No more pain and no more fear of opening your mouth. These may seem like very basic things, but in most photos, I have my mouth closed. Now I am so proud that I sometimes even have to be told to close my mouth. Absolutely fantastic, thanks to all those professionals who treated me not as a 'patient' but more as a fellow human being and part of a team.
PS. I may use professional terms here and there, but after years of treatments you almost become an expert by experience. In the above story, I have deliberately not mentioned my battle with the health insurance company, because that is not relevant in this context.

Quirine Anderegg
Amsterdam
What can make a person happy……… new teeth from Esthetic Dental Team!
It sounds like an advertising slogan, but honestly, I can only speak highly of this team. They are exceptionally customer-friendly and service-oriented. And even more important: they expertly and skillfully made new teeth (veneers) for my two front teeth. Just for fun, I would like to ask another dental technician if they can tell that veneers have been placed. That’s how natural it looks now. Above all, I am extremely happy and relieved. This was a very good choice.
Both my front teeth were more than 50% broken due to an accident. For years, I doubted whether I should get crowns. I dreaded it immensely. My fear of ‘massive blocks with a black edge above them’ kept dominating. Even though two holidays were ruined by the breaking of the newly placed front teeth (filling material shaped like a tooth) and this material quickly discolored to a dingy brown, I didn’t want to go through with it! Only when one of my front teeth broke for the fourth time did the moment come to choose a solid solution. That’s when it turned out that it was possible to place veneers instead of crowns.

What I really appreciate about Esthetic Dental Team:

• I could ask all the questions I had, and everything was taken seriously.
• The explanation was good, understandable, and made clear with models or pictures.
• Plenty of time was taken to arrive at a good color composition for the new teeth.
• There was direct communication with the dentist. This was evident, among other things, from the back-and-forth sharing of data, dental impressions, and photos of my teeth. And the fact that the dental technician advised the dentist to grind down more of my front teeth. It’s work at the tenth-of-a-millimeter level, and he had seen that exactly right based on the impressions. The veneers are now perfectly aligned with the other teeth.
• They have a very sharp eye for detail; as mentioned, they create the right color composition and determine the correct position, but they can also make the perfect shape. Matching the other teeth and your face as a whole.
• Technically, as far as I can judge, they are true professionals.

Now that I’ve been through this, my advice is: don’t hesitate and share your wishes with this team. They listen carefully and truly create beautiful, 'natural' teeth.