Patient testimonials
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Testimonial of a 60 year old lady from the UK now living in South Africa
Before...
"I had a lower front post-crown, which consistently came loose, making it impossible for many years to enjoy biting an apple, eating a corn cob, or in fact eating anything which needed a hard bite. I was advised by a dentist to have the tooth removed and a partial denture made. Then my troubles really started! It fitted so tightly that I couldn't remove it for cleaning, living almost continuously at the dentist getting it removed. On forcing it out it broke several times, costing a fortune to be repaired. The last time I broke it I decided just to use the bit that fitted the tooth into my mouth. (Sometimes I was caught by visitors to the house without my tooth - very embarrassing. Also my children complained of me 'playing' with it with my tongue all the time.)"
During...
"Then my husband read Dr Van Rensburg's article in The Overstrand Herald, our local newspaper, describing a new technique he had acquired, involving fibre reinforcement. I was a little sceptical, having gone into the details of bridging or an implant, for which the time and cost were quite formidable. But I made an appointment with Dr Van Rensburg, who said that it was quite possible to replace my tooth.
I had to wait two months because he was very busy. The day came! After one visit, which lasted less than two hours, I came out with a new tooth. He was surprised that I hadn't brought an apple to bite into to test it."After...
"I feel like a new person. One would never be able to say it was false. I can eat anything. Such a small thing, but it has made such a difference to the quality of my life. Thank you Dr Van Rensburg!"
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'The missing tooth' - a patient's testimonial
"I think it started a couple of years ago - the tooth in question, (lower front incisor), over time had lengthened slightly above the other lower front teeth, (probably old age I suppose), and one night while dozing in the armchair, my head must have nodded forwards and my lower jaw relaxed and the lower teeth ended up in front of the upper teeth - I then must have woke suddenly and my lower jaw jerked backwards with some force, catching this lower tooth on one of the upper ones - It felt like a hammer blow - It was extremely painful and I realy thought that I had knocked the tooth out - I hadn't, but it was ever so slightly loose after that although not painful and appeared healthy.
Following this, the identical scenario repeated itself several times over the following year - I would try not to fall asleep sitting upright but every now and again, I would accidentally nod off in front of the TV and exactly the same thing would happen - Each time I was convinced that I had knocked out the tooth - It then also started to happen when I was asleep in bed - I would suddenly awake with a start and catch the tooth - Sometimes forwards, sometimes backwards but always with force - There would be intervals of a month or so when nothing occurred and the tooth would appear to firm up a little bit and I would start to relax, although there was another incident one day when I took a huge bite out of a really hard apple and I got the same pain as when I knocked the tooth - After that It just got looser.
I knew that I woud have to see a dentist eventually, (typical dental-phobic and put it off until the final moment), but my own dentist who I trusted and had had for years had now retired - By this time, (about a month ago), the tooth was getting pretty loose and one night during my evening meal while taking a hard bite, the loose tooth slipped in front of the upper tooth while the rest of the lower teeth were behind - It was like driving a wedge behind the tooth and forcing it forward - It was pretty sore! - Next night the exact same thing happened - This time it was REALLY loose and the next day I just pulled it out with my fingers - Not even any blood or pain and no decay on the tooth.
I saw a local dentist from the yellow pages on the following Monday morning and he made a temporary repair and attached the old tooth, (after removing the root), to the tooth next to it using a composite filler, (Herculite?), just to fill the gap so I could fulfill my entertainment bookings, (I'm a singer and guitarist by the way), for the week.
I asked him for his recommendation and he said that I couldn't have a conventional bridge fitted as the teeth either side of the gap were slightly loose and that he would like to remove one of these other teeth and fit a denture, (which I wasn't at all keen on).
I left his surgery without committing myself but determined to find an answer that I could live with.
I had been trawling the internet over the weekend, desperately trying to find a solution and I remembered that on one of the dental blogs discussing different types of bridges. someone had mentioned a company called Stick Tech and this person said that he found it really difficult to find a dentist offering this technology but managed to track one down some distance away and had gone to him and been extremely happy with the result, (It may well have been you Jansie but I can't be sure) - I did a Google search for Stick Tech and found their website in Finland and also your British Fibre Bond company - Something clicked immediately and I knew that this was the treatment that I wanted - I downloaded just about every page on both your sites and sent an email to both Stick Tech and your self hoping that one of you would reply.
I was overjoyed to find that you both had the courtesy to find time in your busy schedules to take the trouble to contact me in a most helpful & friendly manner - I was really quite worried at the prospect of having another tooth removed and worse still having to have a horrible denture plate in my mouth - You really did make me feel reassured - You said that I would be an ideal candidate for treatment and you asked me to make an appointment to see you.
We made an appointment for the following Tuesday afternoon and I drove down to Heathfield to see you.
I think it is safe to say that as usual, I was feeling pretty apprehensive and nervous about the treatment but I had good 'vibes' about you and I wasn't wrong - You are a very friendly, helpful and skilful dentist and did an amazing job on my teeth - You managed to integrate my old tooth into the bridge and periodontal splint and made a really strong, firm job of it - It really does seem to good to be true - Even, now I'm a little reluctant to take a huge bite of something solid - I know that the bridge is strong enough, but it feels somehow incredibly slim and light in the mouth - I'll have to take the plunge and try biting into an apple!
It is such a relief to have this problem fixed, to be able to smile and eat and not have a mouth full of denture plate!
Jansie - Thank you so much."
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An FRC patient testimonial
"For the past twenty years or so I have had a conventional bridge at the front of my upper teeth. This was a six tooth bridge, three bridge teeth supported by three existing teeth. In October 2006 whilst eating a meal one of the bridge teeth came off which meant the bridge required removing to make a permanent repair. My dentist successfully repaired it without removing the bridge but discovered that the whole bridge was loose because two of the supporting teeth had broken off just leaving the roots.
We both knew that eventually the bridge would have to be removed and a new and probably expensive one fitted. We explored various alternatives including a temporary bridge which was fitted at the removal of the old one. We then moved to a temporary denture leaving the roots of the support teeth and the one remaining sound support tooth in place. My dentist was concerned about the long term solution regarding my dental health, and the fact, that because I'm engaged in public speaking, I need a decent smile!
He suggested that I visit a colleague friend who specialised in fibre bond dental products, Dr. Jansie van Rensburg. He carried out an initial examination and concluded that he had a solution and that this would not be as expensive as a conventional bridge. Dr. Jansie did a marvelous job, firstly he improved the depth of my bite by rebuilding some of my lower teeth which included bridging a gap in my lower teeth and making a single crown. This was needed otherwise there would be too much pressure on my upper teeth.
Having successfully done this he then went on to build an eight tooth upper bridge filling a gap as he did so. To say I'm pleased is an under statement but I am delighted with the work which was all carried out in my mouth. I think it is a marvelous procedure carried out by a man of skill, integrity and personal care. I'm also grateful to my own dentist John Matejka for his ongoing care, genuine concern and outstanding integrity." -
Testimony
This is a testimony that was written by a patient of approximately 58 years of age. He is a businessman and semi retired. He heard about the fibres from his friend in South Africa, who I have treated when I was out there. He came all the way from South end to Heathfield to have the fibre treatment.
"I thought I would write and tell you how pleased I am with my 'new' tooth. I had a Maryland bridge fitted with metal wings which was very good but I had to keep going back to my dentist in Colchester as it came out on a regular basis.
My dentist told me that they are not very successful as they have a ridged fixing and the surface area of the wings is quite small and suggested that I could have a bridge which would mean filing down Two good teeth and having a Three tooth bridge or an implant which would cost in the region of £2000.00.
A friend told me about the replacement you offer with a bonded tooth, which he had done by you and which was very successful.
I came to see you one week for an examination, then returned the following week for the procedure. There was no injection and after about an hour you had made and fitted a new tooth which feels as if I have had it forever it is quite comfortable and I went out for a meal the same evening.The cost was extremely good. The reception staff made the appointments to suit the fact that I have a Two hour journey from home to your practice and the procedure done by yourself was as pleasant as one could receive whilst in a dentist chair !! I am more than pleased with all aspects of my care and will recommend both the system which you use for replacement which I understand is widely used in other parts of Europe, and your practice which I have booked again for my normal Six monthly check."
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Testimony
Terry and I would like to thank you very much indeed for the excellent treatment received by yourself and your friendly team at your Heathfield practice. Your expertise, utmost care, and wonderful artistry in giving us this ground-breaking treatment was simply outstanding, and the resulting teeth look completely natural and are perfectly comfortable. In my case, the two teeth in question were the top front two, so it was imperative that they should look and feel like my own - which they do, although even better! And no horrible plate in the roof of my mouth. A wish come true!
We look forward to a return visit in six months' time! -
'A very happy patient'
The final episode of a TRUE DENTAL DRAMA Featuring - Mr. JANSEN VAN-RENSBURG with support from all at the OAK LODGE DENTAL PRATICE
"I awoke to yet another tedious day of plate sucking. It was three weeks since I first received my custom made top plate and despite, or because of, my constant heavy sucking, this 'boiled sweet' seemed to be growing and was certainly becoming very loose. My tongue took full advantage and would flip it over causing one of my two large front teeth to disappear and reappear, whether I was in company or not.
Knowing my wife quite well and overhearing the conversations she always has with herself when under stress, I knew that this was the best recipe for divorce I had ever come up with. I have faith in my regular dentist but was a conventional bridge with the necessary destruction of perfectly good teeth on either side of the gap really my only realistic option to the plate?
With the quality of the rest of my life in question and the future looking bleak I turned to my computer. Here, the consensus seems to be that an 'Implant' is many dentists' long term answer but to me it appears to be a very invasive and costly procedure. The thought of taking out a loan to have a hole drilled into my jawbone for every tooth, filled me with deep- dark- despair. But such are the twists and turns of life that it was then I clicked onto the website of Mr. Jansen Van-Rensburg at the Oak Lodge Dental Practice - could this be the chink of light I was seeking?
A little skeptical I went for a consultation to look at the possibility of building a new tooth in situ which, like a conventional bridge, uses the teeth either side for support but crucially, for me, there is no need to grind them down.. I was shown a short video of the procedure and then discussed my case with Mr. Van-Rensburg. His approachable nature and confidence that his methods would work well for me along with the professional ambience of the whole practice melted my skepticism and gave me the hope that this could indeed be the answer.
I was in the chair for about two hours, no injections were required and I experienced no pain apart from a slight discomfort now and again, in fact I spent most of the time trying to stay awake in order not to snore. Being a retired engineer who always strived to produce quality work, I appreciated the skill, care and attention to detail that Mr.Jansen Van-Rensburg displayed. He created a tooth that looks and feels, at the back as well as the front, like it has always been there and costing less than 25% of the price of an implant it, I feel, is good value.
So one week on and my tooth feels robust and quite capable of dealing with the normal every day demands of teeth, obviously it would be prudent of me now to use a steel opener on my bottles and take a knife to hard apples. Anyway all I know is that Mr. Jansen Van-Rensburg's skill has not only lifted a cloud from me - putting the smile back on my face - but has also made my wonder woman very happy.
With the big bad gap in my life now filled in it's time for heroes to ride off into the sunset, but I have a feeling that my hero will stay around for anyone who thinks, like I did, that he just might be able help them."
