A CONVERSATION WITH EON CLINICS' PATIENT, DR. CASSANDRA FRIEDMAN
EON: Dr. Friedman, we want to thank you for offering to say a few kind words about us.
PATIENT: Usually, companies reach out and ask if you have a few minutes to tell them what you think. Or you’re given a survey. But this was something that I searched out. I think that is a testament to the great work you do. My testimony of you is well deserved….
EON: So, how and why did you come to Eon Clinics?
PATIENT: When I was 9 years old, I was hit with a baseball bat right at the septum. A quarter of an inch more and I wouldn’t be here. So from age nine forward, I have always had dental problems. I’ve had a lot of surgeries and root canals. “Dentistry” has been my middle name. They said to me, “One day, you’re going to lose your teeth.” But I kept them much longer than anyone would have thought.
So “the day” came about 5 months ago. I decided that I didn’t want a lower denture. I didn’t think that I would be able to do any more public speaking. My career -- I thought “What am I going to do?” I had to come up with an idea. My dentist referred me to Dr. Karras. He explained the procedure to me and we talked about my options.
EON: Was Eon Clinics able to help you?
PATIENT: I had the All-on-4 on the upper and lower teeth. It is amazing, just amazing. In one day, Dr. Karras and Dr. Voit, together as a team, did the whole procedure. It has been amazing watching each step of the procedure and how intricate it is. How the team works here and at Hoffman Estates is just amazing. The energy of the doctors and staff is great. You can just feel it. It’s a real team. Dr. Voit has in part developed a lot of this procedure. I believe that he was one of the first to use it. And I can’t say enough about how great Dr. Karras is.
EON: I can tell by the smile on your face how you feel about the work they did.
PATIENT: What’s amazing is the way these teeth feel so much like natural teeth. When a person has a top denture, the roof of the mouth is about 80% covered, and you cannot feel the roof of your mouth. One day I put my tongue up to the roof of my mouth. Oh God, I could feel the roof of my mouth. That’s amazing…. And not only does this look better, but I can blow out a candle. I haven’t been able to blow out a candle for years with confidence.
EON: Has the procedure lived up to your expectations, professionally and personally?
PATIENT: One of the talks I give is called, “The Hurrier I Go the Behinder I Get.” It’s about being in praise of slowness. Eating what I want is going to be worth the wait. Right now, I am eating soft foods. It’s not nearly as awful as I thought it would be. I’m getting through it just fine. Once I am finished, I’m going to be able to eat things I haven’t been able to eat for thirty something years. I will be able to eat with more pleasure my favorite food, barbeque ribs. I could eat them before, but the denture would slide this way and flip that way. This tooth would hurt. I won’t have that any more. Corn on the cob sounds delicious.
EON: What was your impression of the staff at Eon Clinics?
PATIENT: The staff is so friendly. It’s a consistent friendliness. There are places where they are so nice when you first come. They want to reel you in. It’s not like that here. They fit you right in. They are very cordial and very nice. They are beyond talented. The staff gets along really well. I know, because I work professionally with a lot of physicians. I go in and trouble shoot among the staff. This one may not get along with that one and that can ruin everything. The staff gets along very well here. The team is very good.
Now, I hear about the seminars on the radio, and I smile with my beautiful smile.” Oh, my God, that is where I had my work done.” I watched the seminar on the website. It was awesome! Dr. Voit has a passion. At my age, you want to seek out people who have passion for what they do
EON: You’re a public speaker, surely, no lack of confidence. Has the new smile helped in any way?
PATIENT: Of course, it’s going to help my self-esteem. I can concentrate on what I’m do
ing rather than on something coming loose. I smile more. It’s a wider smile. I have my smile back. I haven’t had a smile for thirty something years. I noticed that this makes people smile more. I had the opportunity while in your waiting room to see someone that I first met in April -- now it’s the middle of May. Their head was up a little bit higher. I said hello. They smiled and said hello. I thought, wow! It was really nice.
