Long before I got the implant, Dr. Cuevas was monitoring a bacteria that was growing beneath the tooth. He was saying, “Hmm, you know, we’re gonna keep an eye on this. We’re gonna try to do this or we’ll try to do that.” At a certain point, it became something that just had … I had to have the tooth taken out and then an implant. And he talked with me about different options, some of which were cheaper but in the long run more awkward, and some that were more expensive but in the long run a whole lot easier to maintain. We settled on what it was that we were gonna do, and finally he went ahead and did that and then monitored afterwards that the bacteria was not still continuing to grow there, that it really had solved the problem.

After the implant, I don’t remember exactly how long it took for the recovery process to take place, which is a good thing. I don’t remember any pain associated with it other than painkiller wears off in the doctor’s office, but you have some painkillers to take home, and I didn’t hardly use them at all because there wasn’t a whole lot of pain associated with it.

There’s a little bit of an adjustment period when you get any kind of crown or implant because it just feels slightly different from the way your teeth normally would feel. But once that adjustment period is over, it feels just like your teeth.

I’m not aware, ever, of, “Oh, I’ve got some crowns,” or “I had some implants,” because they don’t feel any different from the rest of my teeth.

I’m completely satisfied with the implant that I had. In terms of what the alternatives were, I’m delighted that I don’t have to think about it, I don’t have to do anything about it, it’s just there and it’s permanent and it’s over.

My fears and anxiety stemmed from past dental experiences. So, ever since I was a little kid, I remembered always having something wrong and going into the dentist and everybody was very rough. Like, nobody was gentle enough, really. Nobody treated me with kid gloves, which was something I really needed.

So, over time I would go in and I would find out that I had something else going on, I had another cavity, I had another filling that needed to be added. And it was never just one at a time; it was multiple cavities, and I just had a really rough experience as a child going through all of that. And that lasted all the way up until I was in college. And I would switch doctors on and off, trying to find the right one that would help me calm those fears. And I never did until I came here.

And Dr. Cuevas offered that, and he was really one of the first ones that would do this type of therapy with me. When I get the sedation, it’s only for the major … I’ve only done one time. And it was for the major procedure that I had to do. I had 14 crowns. So he did that when he was cleaning out the old fillings, and there was, I think, a root canal in there, too. I had so much that it’s hard to remember exactly what. So, he did it for the big procedure. It was a four-and-a-half-hour surgery. So there was no way I was going to go in and be comfortable doing that sitting in a chair and, you know, with all of my fears. So he gave me the sedation for that.

And now I’m comfortable coming back in and having the temporary crowns replaced for permanent crowns, and all of my cleanings are fine now, and it’s really just, it’s helped calm me as far as just going in for regular dental checkups as well.

My smile is something that I love now. I’ve always loved the way my smile looked from the front, but I never wanted to really open my mouth up because you would see all the black and silver fillings and the decay. The funny thing, the ironic thing, is that people used to think I had perfect teeth because from the front, they looked fantastic. I knew deep down that they were terrible and that they were affecting my health and they would eventually affect me long term, whether that be with infections or other complications in the future.

So now I feel confident that I am going to be healthy and that my mouth isn’t going to be a source of major problems, and I talk very widely and openly to anyone that I see. So it feels good, it feels really good.

The importance of having confidence in your smile and healthy teeth is that you know you are going to be a healthy individual and that your teeth are not going to be something that’s going to cause you larger challenges down the line. I mean, looks is one thing, but I think health is really the most important thing.

I also want to set an example for my son who is 4, and I don’t want him to develop the same fears and anxiety about going to the dentist as I did as a kid. So for me, it’s really important to show him that having a healthy smile is just being a healthy individual.

Chairside manner’s top notch; it’s professional but very personable. The office itself reflects that, everybody here is a professional but very personable. Dr. Cuevas listens a lot and then he educates a lot. So when you get a combination of somebody that hears you out, empathizes with you, understands that your mouth is something that is important to a lot of people because it’s your appearance and your health.

He puts you at ease, and he makes you feel like you’re in good hands, and he makes you feel like if you have problems that you’re going to be able to find a resolution that you’re comfortable with and happy with.

Dare I say it’s changed my life, but it has definitely changed my health. I’ve brought my wife here and my wife’s family here, and I recommend Dr. Cuevas to anybody I talk to who has dental issues because he’s the type of dentist who has the … I would say the perfect amount of balance between compassion, understanding, and listening to patients, but also taking charge, delivering appropriate knowledge so people can make good decisions about their dental health.

It means a lot to me, and because of it, like I said, he’s going to be my dentist and my family’s dentist for the rest of my life. It’s the same thing with my personal doctors, so these things are important to me, and when you find something good like that, I stick with it.