Cheryl’s Full Mouth Implants Gave Her a New Lease on Life

Last updated on November 24th, 2024 at 04:11 am

Dental implants are revolutionizing the way missing teeth are replaced. Perhaps no other dental procedure is able to offer an individual a return on their investment as immediately, and for as long as a full mouth dental implant procedure.

In Cheryl’s case, several missing teeth were causing her confidence to be deflated. This was having a negative effect on her workspace. In this article you’ll learn how Cheryl found a way to make her dental implant procedure affordable and the transformation that her new, stable teeth had on her life.

Cheryl’s teeth suffered through her hard times

Cheryl had always taken care of her teeth. And suddenly, life happened. She lost her husband of 10 years and fell on hard times. She was forced into becoming the sole provider for her household.

Cheryl’s routine dental visits took a backseat to raising her two daughters alone. Her visits to the dental office were no longer for routine cleanings. The effects of her untreated periodontal disease had settled in.

Now, her dental visits were mostly for pain relief. Over a three-year period, Cheryl received a total of eight tooth extractions.

Fortunately, Cheryl’s luck didn’t stay down forever. Read on to discover how things began to shape in her favor and brought her closer to a solution for replacing her missing teeth with dental implants.

Things began to look up for Cheryl

As a widow, Cheryl met a gentleman, dated, fell in love and remarried. During their dating phase, Cheryl would make it clear to her eventual husband that, “Whenever I get back on my feet, fixing my teeth is an absolute priority!”

Following their marriage, Cheryl recommitted to managing her dental health again and her husband was committed to helping her do just that.

Her teeth and bridgework looked worn and made her self-conscious when speaking to colleagues and restaurant patrons. Cheryl knew something needed to be done and had been considering dental implants.

In the steakhouse restaurant business, if you are limited by the types of foods that you can chew very well, taste-test and offer useful feedback, it becomes a problem for carrying out your job.

Her life was changing for the better and she knew she could not afford to have her teeth negatively affect her job and income.

You’ll learn in this next section how Cheryl was encouraged to choose dental implants from a trusted colleague.

Cheryl’s dentist and colleague recommended full mouth dental implants

Cheryl’s thirteen-year-old bridgework had run its course. Once again, her teeth were failing and failing fast. It was obviously time for a new solution.

Cheryl’s dentist recommended the full mouth dental implant procedure for both her upper and lower jaws. The procedure would cost her $52,000. Cheryl did her homework on the procedure and wisely followed up with questions for her dentist.

Cheryl had seen the television commercials and wondered if the procedure would be a good fit for her. The cost was more than she anticipated and so she began asking around. Her chef colleague, Jim, received multiple dental implants and loved them.

Cheryl would hear Jim complain of how expensive his implants were. But in the same breath, he would insist that he’d do it all over again.

Replacing his upper denture with dental implants meant that the roof of his mouth was no longer covered by a plastic denture that impeded his sense of taste.

This restored Jim’s ability to fully taste his food and wine and he loved it! For a chef, a keen sense of taste is a major part of the job; tasting is his tool.

Jim warned Cheryl against ever settling for dentures. “One thousand percent, take the advice your dentist gave you and get full mouth implants,” Jim told Cheryl. “If you want to be happy, do whatever you gotta do to get implants!”

Cheryl figures out how to make her dental implants affordable

On the recommendations of her dentist, and encouragement from a trusted colleague, Cheryl decided she would opt for the full mouth dental implant procedure.

Cheryl didn’t know exactly how she could make the procedure affordable, but she was determined to figure it out. She started by looking deep into her resources.

For starters, she knew she was on her husband’s dental insurance. The office confirmed that her insurance would pay $2,000 toward her implant treatment.

She thought about taking out a personal bank loan but with interest rates hovering around 25.9%, she decided to consider other options first.

Suddenly it came to her to take advantage of an 18-month, interest-free promotion she had received in the mail from her Discover card. A 3% transfer fee would be required, but the $20,000 credit limit placed her well on her way.

Nerd Wallet is a great resource for a list of 0% APR credit card introductory offers. Some credit card lenders will allow for as many as 21 months interest free.

To cover the difference of her implant procedure, $30,000 would be needed.

Cheryl’s husband suggested that they take it from his retirement fund. Since he was 60 years old – above the minimum age required (age 59) to draw from his retirement fund without penalty – the process would be simple. It is worth noting that Cheryl and her husband would be required to pay income taxes on the funds withdrawn from his 401(k).

They decided together that it was worth making a withdrawal for the $30,000 difference.

Let’s summarize the resources used to cover the cost of Cheryl’s full mouth dental implant procedure:

Funding Source	Funding Amount
Dental Insurance	$2,000
Discover Credit Card (18 mo. Interest Free)	$20,000 + (3% fee = $600)
401(k) Retirement Fund Withdrawal	$30,000
Total	$52,600

Cheryl gets creative on repaying her implant loan

Cheryl completed the implant procedure and was instantly pleased with the results. And she was determined to repay the $20,600 credit card balance she created to make her dental implants affordable.

If she were to pay off the balance within the 18-month interest free period, it would require paying a minimum of $1,145 each month.

Cheryl considered two things. She looked at opportunities to cut monthly spending. She also considered taking on some part-time work for at least as long as it took to pay off her Discover card balance.

Cheryl’s car note happened to end two months following her implant treatment. This would free up $605 of her cash flow. She decided against buying a new car and to apply this freed up cash flow to her Discover card balance, each month.

She also decided to make up the $540 monthly difference by taking on a few part-time hours each week as a bartender.

As planned, by the end of 18-months, Cheryl paid off her Discover card balance. She felt great knowing the cost of her full mouth dental implant procedure was free and clear. “The sacrifices my husband and I made were well worth it to have my smile back,” exclaimed Cheryl!

Conclusion

Cheryl’s failing teeth were having a negative effect in her professional and personal life. So she was determined to do something about it. She sought the advice of her dentist and people within her circle of influence.

Initially, Cheryl experienced sticker shock by the $52,000 dental implant procedure. But she also understood the negative effect that missing several teeth was having on her life.

And so, with the support of her husband, Cheryl looked deep into her resources and found a way to make her full mouth implant procedure affordable. Now, no one is happier!

Cheryl says, “I can’t stop smiling! My confidence in supporting my colleagues and serving restaurant patrons has been fully restored.”

Cheryl’s friends and family continue to complement her on her smile. She can eat everything including fruits like mango and apples, nuts and toasted beagles as well as an occasional juicy steak!