Mindy

I took some time off work because of the way I felt about my mouth. Now, I’m open to any industry where you really have to smile.

Mindy is 55 years old and was living in Florida when she first contacted The Blende Dental Group seven years ago. She knew she had advanced dental problems requiring special care dentistry because of both a bleeding disorder (called Rosenthal Factor 11 clotting deficiency), an aneurysm, as well as a history of seizures and migraines. As a result of these challenge and her own concerns, Mindy also developed a severe phobia of nearly all aspects of a visit to the dentist. She says, “I thought that traveling by plane to a dentist all the way in San Francisco was crazy.” But then, she explains, she realized that no one in Florida, nor even New York, relatively close by, could resolve her case safely. Finally, she visited the Blende Dental Group for an evaluation and had a wonderful experience. She was ready to move forward.

….or so she thought. Once she returned home, old fears came rushing back and she experienced a disconnect between what she knew she should do and what she ended up doing – postponing treatment for another seven or eight years because of her phobia. Finally, she explains, after a family event, a relative had posted photos of her with a big smile. When she saw the images of how bad her teeth had become after many years of postponing visits to the dentist, she say, “I broke down and sobbed and said to myself, ‘You can’t do this anymore.’” She picked up the phone and called the Blende Dental Group, seven years after her first contact with them. She adds, while it was the esthetics that got to her, in fact, her teeth had already become a hazard to her overall health as well. “I was a mess. I wasn’t in any pain, but the roof of my mouth was showing signs of infection, my glands were swollen and other things were going on. I knew I needed help, but was doing a good “bad” job of ignoring it. I knew it was affecting my overall health.”

Now living in Los Angeles, Mindy traveled to San Francisco to meet Dr. Blende and his team. She was thrilled to find dentists who could treat her safely and comfortably while asleep. The first phase of Mindy’s treatment was accomplished at The California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), where her significant periodontal disease and dental caries were treated. During this first phase, ten teeth were extracted and grafted (by oral maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Dennis Song, MD, DDS). Twenty one teeth were prepared for crowns. At the conclusion of the first day of treatment, Mindy left with provisional crowns and bridges, immediately improving her smile and protecting her teeth until stronger, laboratory-made provisional crowns and bridges could be placed. Several weeks later, Mindy returned to The Blende Dental Group’s office for finalization of lab processed crowns and bridges while awake. The final phase of her treatment involved a visit with Dr. Blende, where her porcelain crowns and bridges were cemented in place, to achieve Mindy’s gorgeous smile. She is now free of decay and infection with a smile as stunning as she is. Laughingly, she says, “I’m never ‘breaking up’ with The Blende Dental Group and will continue to travel from Los Angeles for check-ups.” She adds of her career, “I took some time off work because of the way I felt about my mouth. Now, I’m open to any industry where you really have to smile.”