Case Study  

 

Norman Watt-Roy, best known for playing the bass in the band, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, had a problem. Despite his ability to play a great bass line, he was starting to be noticed for the wrong reason: the appalling state of his teeth.

 

After enjoying more than forty years of the ‘rock and roll’ lifestyle, Norman’s teeth resembled a war-zone; the appearance was more cartoon than reality. He had severe pain from one of his teeth on the lower right side and was desperate for help. The band’s manager Lee sent him to his godfather, Dr. Stanley Kay, Principal of Harley Street Dental Clinic, and as a result he and his expert team were called in to control the pain. The nerve was immediately removed from the offending tooth and it was dressed with a non-inflammatory material. Norman had immediate and total pain relief.

 

HSDC (Harley Street Dental Clinic) has specialists in every dental treatment so the expertise was available for whatever Norman needed.

 

After considerable discussion with the team, Norman finally came to the conclusion that he needed a major course of treatment. Dr. Kay and his specialists agreed to totally reconstruct Norman’s mouth so that he would benefit from a healthy mouth and a terrific new smile.

 

Norman had rampant decay, most of his teeth were loose and a number of the teeth had abscesses. Further x-rays and models of his teeth were taken in order to view the teeth as they were and then how the teeth would be after all the work. All of the proposed treatments required considerable commitment on Norman’s behalf, but the result would transform his mouth. The first phase of the transition involved periodontal work (gum treatment). Most of Norman’s teeth were loose, and he needed sessions of deep cleaning and prolonged antibiotic therapy. In addition, the abscesses on those teeth that could be saved were root canal treated and allowed time to settle down. The Harley Street Dental Clinic team of specialists carried out the periodontal and root canal (endodontic) treatments.

 

After this initial treatment, the next stage was tidying-up the upper front teeth, which were the main reason Norman’s teeth looked so dreadful. The teeth had to have the decay removed and were then built-up with plastic filling material. This also allowed the spaces that had occurred between his upper front teeth to be closed. This relatively simple treatment made an enormous improvement in Norman’s appearance and gave us a template for the final crowns that were to be made. Norman was ecstatic with the result, no longer was he too embarrassed to speak or smile.

 

Like all transformations, sacrifices had to be made, and three teeth that could not be saved were removed: two had untreatable abscesses and all three had lost too much of the bone supporting them to ever be stable. The teeth were extracted and the periodontal specialist replaced them with three dental (teeth) implants. To avoid any compromise to Norman’s appearance, a partial denture was made in advance, ready to be fitted immediately after the three teeth were extracted and the dental (teeth) implants placed. This denture was made of cobalt chrome, a lightweight and strong metal which allows the denture to have minimum bulk and fitted with invisible clips so that no clasps or wires were visible which would certainly distract from Norman’s rock-star smile. Most importantly, the denture was designed to allow Norman to keep his mouth clean and prevent future damage. Norman found the denture comfortable and wore it until it was replaced with crowns on the dental (teeth) implants. Dental (teeth) implants are self-tapping screws made of pure titanium. They are placed in healthy bone and after some months firmly integrate with the bone. A crown or bridge is then fitted to the implants; they are, in most cases, indistinguishable from natural teeth.

 

Over a number of months Norman’s dentition was rebuilt with crowns supported by his natural teeth and the three dental (teeth) implants. One of the specialists, Charlotte Stilwell, made minor adjustments to the tops of the teeth (equilibration). This ensured that the teeth were rebuilt in the most harmonious and efficient position for Norman’s joints and muscles and that they could come together and work smoothly.

 

After months of hard work, Norman’s appearance was altered, in many respects, beyond recognition. He looked several years younger and it gave him a new vitality. It was a pleasure to work with him. He was a model patient who never missed an appointment, was always early with a cheerful smile and grateful for any further improvements. Dr. Kay was rewarded like a true rock star for his efforts in renovating Norman’s smile when he attended a Blockheads concert after the treatment was complete. To his amazement, he was given a standing ovation from the band.

 

The Harley Street Dental Clinic is most fortunate to have a team of in-house specialists who worked with Dr. Kay to complete Norman’s treatment: Nectaria Polycarpou performed the root canal treatments; Pedja Pavlovic provided the periodontal treatment, implant placement and continuing advice; Charlotte Stilwell made the partial denture and undertook the bite equilibration. The dental laboratories were also all in state-of-the-art conditions, allowing for all of the magnificent dental work.

 

If it hadn’t been for Lee’s recommendation, Norman would still be in great pain. But thanks to Lee’s constant nagging to sort his mouth out, Dr. Kay was given the opportunity to utilise all the exceptional skills available at his practice to dramatically change Norman’s life; however, it took Norman’s stoicism, constant good humour and gratitude throughout his arduous treatment to get to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Now that Dr. Kay and his team have restored that amazing smile, Norman knows that it has all been worthwhile.