NEWS

Treatment has made me smile again

Dentist Siew Lim, from King's Lynn, took Sue Crossfield and his dental team across to America to show off a new implant technique he has developed.

29 November 2006 09:30

A Norfolk woman has been flown to America to show off her dentist's handiwork.

Grandmother Sue Crossfield was given revolutionary new treatment by dentist Dr Siew Lim, who runs The Dental Practice, in Stonegate Street, King's Lynn.

Having had all her teeth taken out in her early twenties, she was understandably not a fan of the dentist chair and drill and for the last 40 years had worn uncomfortable dentures.

However, after enduring a pain in her jaw while on holiday abroad, on her return, she reluctantly made the trip to a dentist she had found in the yellow pages.

She decided to bite the bullet and signed up to have the revolutionary computer-guided implant treatment, called Smart Implants from Dr Lim, who was one of the inventors of the technique.

Mrs Crossfield, 63, is one of just a handful of people in the country to have the new implants which use computers and CT scans to plot exactly where the implants should fit, and means that less painful and invasive surgery is required.

The treatment, which can cost thousands rather than hundreds of pounds, has given her fixed false teeth, a natural smile and she will never have to wear dentures again.

The treatment, which has been eagerly welcomed in America, uses the latest technology with computers, cat scans and means the gums do not even have to be cut, as key-hole implants are used.

As the treatment has now only just gone on the market, Mr Lim asked if Mrs Crossfield would take part in a special live demonstration in America, after he and his team, was invited to go over to show the work.

Mrs Crossfield said she had been over the moon with the success of her lower jaw implant and was more than happy to fly out to the Valley Dental Laboratory of Technology in Minneapolis for the demonstration, infront of a group of leading American doctors and dentists.

Mrs Crossfield, of Boughton near Downham, said: "I was so pleased with how the lower jaw implant had gone, that when he offered to do my top jaw for this demonstration I nearly bit his hand off!

"I'd not had teeth for 40 years and the treatment has changed my life and given me back my confidence. I can now eat any food I want, without thinking about it, anything from steak to nuts, it's wonderful. I cannot explain how much this has changed my life for the better."

Mrs Crossfield said her teeth were taken out following the birth of her second child when she was just 23.

She was then given dentures, which she said had made her lack confidence, and she had always smiled with her hand over her mouth.

She said she had never even heard of implants, let alone the new treatment, but she said she hopes that other people with dentures or lost teeth, may realise there is another option for them and one which can change their life for the better.

She added: "It is not painful at all as you are just under local anaesthetic. It was amazing I had the first implants done at 2pm and by 5.30pm I was eating my tea."

Mr Lim said he and his team had been working on the concept of Smart Implants for the last four years.

He and technician Jason Hollinstead developed the procedure along with IT experts from London.

He said: "This has taken implants to the next level and what we are doing is revolutionary work.

"This can change the quality of life for the patients, and there has been great interest for this work in America, which is quite unusual for Britain to be the first and to take an invention over to them."

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