Man spends £17,000 on teeth after fear of dentist caused them to crumble

15 January 2024 , 11:40

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Adrian Elmer would previously avoid face to face conversations (Image: 21D)

A man was forced to spend £17,000 on his teeth after a fear of the dentist saw them all crumble.

Adrian Elmer suffered after his molars began decaying and he spent years embarrassed about his mouth which he covered up with his hands.

The dad, who said he was also extremely self-conscious when having a conversation, added that he finally bit the bullet and decided to have expensive dental surgery after years of upset, and now has 'the perfect smile'.

Adrian said the reaction of his son to his new teeth was one of amazement after his original teeth had become unsightly and chipped - with many of them falling out.

Adrian Elmer was terrified of going to the dentist (21D)

Adrian said before the transformation he avoided close discussions and would make telephone calls rather than having in-person chats. He would keep his head down and wouldn't smile. This, he admits, took him from being a natural communicator with spontaneous personality to someone who would avoid discussions and shy away from anything face-to-face.

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His teeth also affected his social life and he became self-conscious when out for drinks or a meal and would avoid photographs. Dentures were experimented with, but they didn't fit and would move around. His diet, he said also restricted and he had to think about what he was able to eat.

Adrian is now confident to speak at work and socialise in public (21D)

He said: "I remember once chewing a toffee and the dentures fell right out of my mouth. I was mortified. Even Christmas dinner with my family was ruined, when my turkey got stuck in them. His dislike of going to the dentist developed into fear and when Covid pandemic happened it was three years since he had an appointment at the dentists and his teeth began to crumble resulting in him going through 20 repair kits which never worked.

Adrian's teeth before the treatment (21D)

Adrian initially planned to travel abroad, however the language barrier left him with cold feet despite booking a plane ticket and he backed out. Setting his sights on a UK clinic, he later reached out to a private dental company, 21D, where he was given a £16,995 quote to fix his teeth.

The dad said he was awake during the procedure and could not not believe he was getting new teeth fitted. But he was astonished at the results: "The dentist handed me a mirror and I could have cried with happiness. Long gone was my gappy, yellow smile and in its place, were two rows of perfectly straight white teeth. Pure perfection!."

Adrian was afraid to open his mouth and often covered it in public (21D)

He says he can now eat-out with no fears and is able to speak with confidence at work and is back to his old 'loud' self something he lost when he lost his confidence. Adrian said didn't realise how much his teeth were making him miss out on important things on a daily basis - but 'life has been changed forever' after having his teeth done.

Graeme Murray