It’s no fun being scared of things that other people have no problem with at all. Thunderstorms, for example. Some people find them exhilarating, others are hiding behind the sofa with the dog. Spiders, too. One person can pick them up and put them outside while their friend is whimpering with terror of this thing with 8 hairy legs and a desire to terrify. Dentists too. Your friend sails in to get their check-ups, doesn’t think twice about local anaesthetics and fillings. You though. Well, you’ve lost count of the number of appointments you’ve missed because when it came down to it, you were just too scared to go.
Was it because your mum was scared of the dentist too? Was it because she never took you when you were young so the first time you went you had to have loads of fillings and they didn’t even offer you a local anaesthetic? Was it the noise of the drill? You can’t quite remember. You just know that all your life, you’ve been lucky to make it to one check-up every 5 years, let alone twice a year. And every time you go, there’s always a long list of work that needs to be done. In fact, it gets longer every time and last time, they were talking about root canals and extractions, maybe even dental implants, if you wanted to get out of the vicious cycle you are in with your teeth.
Because that’s the thing with being scared of the dentist. You don’t go, and you don’t go and you don’t go, and when you do, decay and gum disease have made things so much worse than if you’d gone for regular check-ups in the first place. It’s such a horrible situation to be in.
But here at David Madruga, we know all about dental phobia. It is real. It affects about 13% of the population and you are not alone. When you come to us for help, we will be able to take you through the whole treatment process with a great deal of compassion, zero judgment on the state of your teeth and sedation so that you can finally relax.



It starts with a consultation
One of the biggest frustrations with having dental implants fitted has always been having to wait so long between appointments for healing to happen. In the past, it took about six months between having your dental implants fitted and getting the porcelain crowns put on. This was so that the implants could have plenty of time to integrate with the jawbone, and the time it takes for the two to integrate is still vital to the success of dental implants. Things could take even longer if teeth had to be removed first, which meant more healing time.
The process of getting dental implants usually involves a consultation followed by any preparatory work. Next comes the fitting of the implants and teeth are added later. In the meantime, someone often has to do without teeth or they have cosmetic stand-ins only. With same-day teeth, prosthetics can be added straight away, which eliminates the need for a second appointment to fit them. This creates a very satisfying, immediately beneficial dental treatment.
Check-ups
If you have been missing teeth for some time, or you are a smoker or have had advanced gum disease, your jawbone may not be in as good condition as you would like. As soon as you lose teeth, the bone in the area of the lost tooth understands that it is no longer being used and begins to dissolve itself, releasing the nutrients from the bone back into the bloodstream for use elsewhere in the body.
Dr David Madruga is specially trained in treating
Whatever the reason, if you have lost or are about to lose all your teeth, do not sink into despair. At David Madruga in Marylebone, full mouth rehabilitation can give you back your smile and your ability to chew, laugh and speak with complete freedom, by using dental implant restorations.
How dental implants work
The consultation