Sameer was known as “the quiet eater.” At office lunches, he always took tiny bites, always on his left side, always chewing slow so no one noticed his discomfort. He had convinced himself it was manageable. People manage worse, right? A missing tooth is not life-threatening. He could just keep eating carefully. But the human brain works differently. When people live with a long-term physical discomfort, they start normalizing dysfunction. What is hard becomes “habit.” What is painful becomes “routine.” Sameer normalized it too. The right side of his jaw had been empty for four years. Over time, the left side began taking all the chewing pressure, causing headaches, jaw tension, and a dull ache that never fully went away. But the real breaking point was not physical.
One night, eating pav bhaji with friends, a piece of pav slipped into the gap and made him choke slightly. His friends laughed casually—thinking he ate too fast. But Sameer felt humiliated. He excused himself, wiped his eyes, and sat in the washroom staring at his reflection.“ What am I doing to myself?” That’s when he searched: “Best long-term solution for missing back teeth.” He read about implants. Not in a technical way—in a hopeful way. At his consultation, he confessed that he wasn’t scared of the procedure. He was scared of being judged for waiting so long. But there was no judgment.
Only understanding. Dr. Kritika gently explained how the jawbone weakens when teeth are missing… how chewing imbalance affects the TMJ… how the body silently adapts until it cannot anymore. But her tone wasn’t clinical—it was reassuring, like she was telling him it wasn’t his fault for waiting. Many people cope the same way. The implant placement was quick, predictable, and surprisingly comfortable. But the moment he’ll never forget was the day he could eat on both sides again. He bit into a dosa. Not carefully. Not sideways. Not consciously.
For the first time in years, he ate like a normal person—without thinking about eating. He didn’t realize tears were forming until he tasted salt. It wasn’t about food. It was about freedom. Freedom from overthinking. Freedom from discomfort. Freedom from shame. Sometimes, a missing back tooth doesn’t affect appearance—it affects the invisible parts of life: confidence, ease, spontaneity. Sameer didn’t just get an implant. He got back his natural rhythm. If you’re tired of adjusting, maybe it’s time to restore balance.