Can My Rotten Teeth Be Saved? | Our Life

Katie Piper meets people around the UK who have been avoiding their health troubles and hiding from the doctor and dentist for years. Drawing on her own experiences Katie will support them as they undergo state of the art treatments, opening their eyes to the incredible things that modern medicine can do.

In Folkestone, after years of neglect Ben has decided he doesn't want to be the 21 year-old with no teeth. But can he turn it around?

This film was first broadcast: 18 May 2016

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[yellowdayz]

So happy for him. What a awesome dentist too.

[aliciachristopher]

As an American I'm mostly afraid of the dentist's bill.

[micheleandheryorkie]

The way Ben carries himself (shoulders slouched forward), seeing the state of his fingernails, his teeth… I’d bet that this young man suffers from depression. He needs therapy to straighten out his mental health. I hope Ben gets the help he needs ❤️

[ahfad]

As a dental student i can only commend Dr Farad for doing multiple root canals and post and core buildups in a single session. What a beast of a dentist

[vladimirharkonnen]

It’s incredible what a shave, a haircut, and thousands of pounds of dental work can do for a man’s image.

[Strifentine]

His poor gums looked so inflamed and painful. It is hard to take care of yourself with depression, so I hope he gets treatments for that too. Well done, Ben!

[jsrmommi]

Ben may also need therapy as to the root issue of why he is neglecting himself. Ben deserves a better life and could do so with the proper help for as long as he needs.

[foxbuns]

Katie is such a wonderful advocate for others after the horrific things she has gone thru herself.

[amiralozse]

Katie must be among the most wonderful persons one can imagine !
and Ben is so sooo incredibly brave and honest. Both make me very happy !

[HillsFrida]

Can I just say that his hair is absolutely gorgeous?! He stood up from a 5 hour long treatment at the dentist with the fluffiest waves imaginable! On the other hand I'm glad he doesn't need his hair anymore to hide behind.

[Beastmode]

I've got that same problem. My issue is that I was traumatized as a child by a dentist, when he forcefully strapped me to a chair and forced my mouth open, all because it was my first time and I had no idea what was going on. 20+ years later and I still refuse to go. Nobody every truly get's over it.

[ThiaJetNeYu]

WOW! This truly touched my heart. What a kind dentist and such a thankful young man...Priceless.

[scottgould]

I have heard this is also true.
Another reason some people (especially those with rotten teeth) avoid seeing a dentist, is they are afraid of the embarrassment and ridicule — even from the dentist himself — the person is afraid they will make them feel bad or say things like, “Why dont you brush your teeth?”

[LykMike]

If I had the money I would get my teeth fixed in a heartbeat... I walk around with no front teeth and am constantly trying to hide them... So happy for this guy!!! Looks great man!

[brendagood]

What a brilliant man, and someone who really cares. Ben was really lucky to have him as his dentist.

[darkySp]

I was just like him in term of fear of the dentist and hygiene neglect. Age and everything. Though, it wasn't as serious as his situation.
After talking about it with my girlfriend, she finally encouraged me on to start dentist visits. I already had a molar pulled at 18, because it was simply decayed beyond repair. I had cavities and sensitivity in my teeth to the point where I didn't even chew my food properly. I had 2 holes in my top front teeth between the left 2 and right 2, which I subconsciously ended up changing the way I speak and laugh to keep my top lip over my teeth. A deep fissure cavity in a pre-molar which was just about to pass the pulp and reach the nerve, about a dozen small cavities in my canines and on the sides of my upper molars and the molar on the left, the same one that was pulled on my right side, was so decayed that it was sitting parallel to my gums with a dish-shaped indentation going in and just a flat sliver of enamel left towards the back, the sides next to the gum line were so jagged they cut the sides of my tongue frequently. I had gum growing in and over the empty space where my tooth was and according to my dentist, the nerve in the tooth has died overtime by itself and there was almost no connection between my roots, he said 60% of that was gone. Somehow, I never encountered an abscess or infection or tonsil stones from all the bacteria I must have had in my mouth throughout all these years. It was cleaned, had a root canal, 3 dental posts attached and the man remade my whole tooth from photo-polymer and I realized that I forgot what it was to chew with a full row of healthy teeth.

I've had these problems since I was 12 or 13 or maybe even earlier, I just never got taught hygiene properly and I'm still trying to make cleaning my teeth a habit and I'm forever thankful for my dentist and my girl for helping me get that in order. All of that happened from February to late June this year. It wasn't cheap, but I also didn't get broke from it. The dentist was reasonably priced, funny, extremely helpful and trustful of me (he was almost shy to talk about payment and let me pay everything in bulk after it was done, I could've easily ran off without paying...) and the pain I felt was to a minimum. I'm lucky to have found him. I now can chew my food properly, I can speak more freely and even though I still feel awkward to, I smile with my teeth and I laugh without covering myself when I'm in company. I'm so much more confident now...

Anyway, with my rambling and story aside, if anyone here has any dental issues or was like me, afraid and neglectful of their personal hygiene or just someone that was interested enough to read all this, please don't stay complacent with issues. They won't go away on their own, they never do. Dentists are here to help and even if you can't afford a full-make over, at least get the serious issues fixed and if you can't even afford that, try your best to make a habit of caring for yourself. Whether you believe that souls exist or that we're just a sentient bag of meat and complex electrical signals, your body is your life. Care for it. And never forget to reinforce those habits in your children from a young age. Don't be afraid. It's never too late to take action. Let people like me and the guy in the video serve as examples of what to avoid.

It's 02:22 right now, so I'll go to sleep. If anyone even came across this comment and had the patience to read all this, thank you for hearing my story.

[kelsiefletcher]

As someone who suffers depression I hope this young man gets help and gets better.

[JustJenReacts]

Having trouble getting your children to brush their teeth? Show them this.

[littleripper]

I'm so happy for him and his parents who get to see their baby boy happy.

[thebyrd]

Sedation dentistry is fantastic for an apprehensive patient like Ben. It makes the procedure(s) a lot easier, but it still takes courage to make the decision to go through with it and then to get yourself into the chair and stay there. Good for Ben!