Due to a combination of genetics and poor dental hygiene, Chris suffered from severe tooth decay and didn’t have very many teeth remaining. His mother had experienced similar genetic dental issues, losing her teeth in her 30s. His dentist in Layton referred him to Dr. Affleck. While exploring other corporate implant centers in Utah, the patient encountered high prices, rigid automated AI phone systems, pressure to post on social media, and noticeably unsatisfied patients in alternative waiting rooms.
The Treatment: The patient chose a permanent All-on-4 dental implant solution (four implants on top, four on the bottom) to avoid traditional dentures, eliminate ongoing maintenance, and preserve his jawbone from degrading. Thanks to his strong existing bone structure, no bone grafting was required.
The Procedure & Recovery: Per his preference, the patient remained awake under local anesthesia. Dr. Affleck extracted the remaining teeth and placed all eight implants on the very same day. The patient experienced a completely painless procedure and recovery—reporting only minor tenderness for a week—and successfully returned to his physical labor job just four days later.
The Outcome: After wearing temporary teeth for three months, he received his final permanent teeth two weeks ago. Though they feel slightly heavier than the temporaries, they perform excellently as he cautiously breaks them in with solid foods like apples. He highly recommends Dr. Affleck for his straightforward honesty, human-centered care, and competitive pricing.
I understand from Wendy that you’re a truck driver. Do you do long haul?
Yes I am. But I don’t do long haul. I haul lumber around and I drive a forklift.
How did you find out about Dr. Affleck, and how did you end up in the situation of needing new teetgh?
My dentist in Layton recommended me to Dr. Affleck, because I severe tooth decay. I didn’t take care of them like I was supposed to, and I really needed new teeth. So he told me to go to Affleck, and then when they told me they told me the price, that’s why I went with Affleck.
Did you do some consultations with other dentists or specialists?
Yeah, I had other dental consultations. While I was sitting in the waiting room at one of these consultations there were other waiting who were satisfied with their situation; this and the other prices I was being quoted made Affleck sound a lot better, so I went with them.
What was the ultimate solution that you chose? Was it all-on-four on the bottom and all-on-four on top? And was it exactly four implants on the bottom and four on the top?
Yes I got the all-on-four dental implants for both my top and bottom teeth.
How long ago did you get them?
Two weeks ago.
How’s the healing process?
Pretty good because the made sure that I took care of everything until everything had healed after surgery. I didn’t eat anything I wasn’t supposed to, and they gave me information on what not to eat, and what to eat.
When was your first visit, and how long did the process take with the temporaries?
I think my very first visit was about 6 months ago. And I had the temporaries for about 3 months before getting my final teeth.
How do the final teeth compare to your temporary teeth?
They feel heavier
Can you feel a difference in terms of performance or does it just feel heavier?
The performance is pretty good. I’m slowly testing my final teeth. I just had an apple but haven’t had a steak yet. I think steak’s the worst one you got to try because it’s a lot tougher. Slowly breaking them in and being cautious.
Before you started it all, how many teeth did you still have?
I think I had about six or seven on top, and about five on bottom. So, not a lot left.
What would you attribute that to? Is it genetics or is it just you didn’t take care of them as well as you should have?
Both genetics and taking care of them. My mom lost her teeth when she was in her 30s, so it’s definitely related to genetics.
Did you feel much pain after surgery? How long did it last or was it just tenderness?
Actually, I didn’t have any pain, and didn’t get knocked out. I was awake the whole time. This was my preference, I had them numb all my gums and Dr. Affleck took all my teeth out and placed all 8 new dental implants all on the same day. Afterwards I didn’t feel any pain like some people do when they get done with all the numbing; had some tenderness for about a week.
Was there much inconveniences related to work? Did you have to take a few days off?
The surgery was on a Thursday, and I went back to work Monday. So I missed work Thursday and Friday, and had three days of healing before returning to work. So it was pretty good.
How did Dr. Affleck’s prices compare?
I had it financed and the total price was slightly less than the the other two implant centers I consulted with that have both have multiple locations in Utah. I also liked there was no pressure to do a lot of social media posting. I also liked that I got a real person, one place answered the phone with AI; I think it was because I called after hours. So when I saw the price, I said let’s get them out.
Did all three three dentists you consulted with recommend doing all-on-fours or did somebody recommend something different?
I went with the All-on-4 permanent option because my teeth were in really bad shape, but luckily my bone structure was still strong enough that I didn’t need any bone grafting. I knew I didn’t want traditional dentures. I preferred a permanent solution over snap-ins because I wanted it done right the first time without worrying about ongoing maintenance and adjustments down the road. Plus, getting permanent implants now preserves my jawbone. If I had waited or gone with temporary dentures, my bone structure would have degraded over time, making it much harder to support fixed All on 4 dental implants later on.
Is there anything you would tell others that are looking for a great place to have their new all-on-fours done? Did it matter that he was a prosthodontist to you?
I highly recommend Dr. Affleck because you get to talk to a real person, not an AI, and the entire process was quick and completely painless. This is a major investment—like buying a car—so you have to do your research. Since you’re going to have these teeth for life, you want to make sure you’re comfortable. Dr. Affleck was completely honest and kept it real with me from day one. He didn’t try to play games or upsell me on things I didn’t need. I told him exactly what I wanted—All-on-4 permanent teeth—and that’s exactly what I got.