A woman has revealed how she had her “horrific” teeth fixed after being “terrified” of the dentist for 20 years – taking to TikTok to share her story.
Leona Clarke, 41, a stay-at-home mum-of-four from London, recalls being so “petrified” of the dentist that she had to take her headphones and sunglasses with her to appointments in a bid block the ordeal.
After suffering with gingivitis, a common and mild form of gum disease, she had to undergo an intense deep cleaning – which she claims receded her gums and caused her front teeth to stick out.
The protrusion was so intense, the mum was unable to close her mouth.
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In a bid to fix her smile, in 2020 Leona spoke to UK dentists who said she needed “all fours” fitted – otherwise known as implants and crowns – quoting an eye-watering £22,000 for the procedure.
That’s when the mum came across a practice in Turkey offering her implants, a bone graft, sinus lift and crowns at £6,000.
“My teeth were horrific, they were big, bulky and embarrassing,” Leona told NeedToKnow.online.
“Because I also had a bad experience as a child, which traumatised me, I have been terrified of drills and dentists for decades.
“I remember hearing the drill as it went through my body like someone scratching on a board, I was petrified and in a lot of pain.
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“However, I had never actually thought about getting my teeth fixed until my step-sister mentioned it.
“I had zero confidence, I would not smile in photos and people thought I was quiet because my mouth was always closed.
“I was referred to as having horse teeth which stuck like glue in my head and even started seeing this myself when I looked in the mirror.
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“Since my surgery, everything has been great and I can eat what I like, as well as never having toothache again.
“The Turkey clinic said I would need quite a lot of work, as I had bone loss and that I’d need two visits, with a 10-day stay for each.
“I made a mistake of Googling the procedure beforehand and this frightened me but knowing I would be able to have the perfect smile in as little as six months made it all worth it.”
In March that year, Leona made the lengthy journey and underwent the eight-hour procedure – where doctors removed all but four of her teeth.
She said: “Sitting in the chair was actually OK, and not understanding what the surgeon and nurse were speaking about kind of helped.
“I was excited and anxious at the same time, excited for the outcome but anxious about feeling or hearing anything.
“They removed all my teeth, apart from four which they left in for a frame and they ground my own teeth into a paste.
“They used this to rebuild my bone for the graft and I also had 12 implants, as well as a sinus lift in the first surgery.
“I was very confused as I woke up and the next few days were tough, as I was quite swollen and I couldn’t eat anything.”
Leona also had four root canals and was sent home with temporary teeth and told to return five months later for her second round of treatment.
In August 2020, her temporary teeth, as well as the remaining natural ones were removed, before placing caps were placed on the implants.
She said: “The healing process took three months, so eating was quite hard I had to purée my food for the first six weeks.
“I couldn’t chew properly so I could only eat soft food that was easy to swallow. I was so hungry I lived on rice and mashed potatoes.
“I remember taking my children to McDonald’s, and all I wanted was a French fry, so I sucked the potato out and discarded the crunchy outside.”
Now, Leona is overjoyed with her new look and says it has boosted her confidence.
She added: “I have personally sent others to my surgeon for the same treatment, one being my cousin who has finished and another two of my friends. It’s like a domino effect.
“I would say to anyone thinking of having it done, to really research the clinic and ask to speak with patients who have had the procedure.
“I’m so happy – and my smile shows this.” Leona’s four children are also thrilled to see their mum finally confident with her smile.
She said: “They actually came on the half of my journey with me in August. My older two told me how I looked so different how my whole face had changed shape, ‘mum you look so different your whole face has changed shape, they look so good’.
“My younger one said I like your new teeth mum they are so clean and shiny.”
In a bid to share her experience, Leona decided to upload a before and after video on TikTok, which has racked up 73,100 views and thousands of likes.
In the clip, she shows a picture of her old teeth and a montage of the process.
In the slideshow, she features photos of herself before, while in the clinic and the results of her surgery.
Users have flocked to the comments to share their reactions, with many congratulating the mum on her new look.
One person commented: “So glad you love your new smile. You look great!”
Someone else said: “Love the video Leona, tells the whole story, I’m glad you like your new teeth!”
“Congratulations!! ur smile looks beautiful,” commented another user, followed by a heart emoji. [sic]
“That was a brave decision, looks amazing,” said another viewer.
“Wow they look so good!!!!” someone else said.
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