Walter Fries suffers from late stage Alzheimer’s and woke up one day suffering from a serious tooth abscess.

Walter Fries suffers from late stage Alzheimer’s and woke up one day suffering from a serious tooth abscess. His son Daniel contacted their local hospital and primary dentist, but neither were able to help. He even checked with his local Alzheimer’s Association, and they had no idea what to do. He felt disheartened at how ill-informed everybody was. Finally, a colleague referred him to the Blende Dental Group.
Daniel Fries was surprised at how quickly he was able to get an appointment. He was even more impressed at how at ease the team was in dealing with patients with impaired mental capacity. He noted how extremely caring and concerned they were.

After the initial exam, Dr. Chau scheduled a full sedation dental surgery in collaboration with Kaiser. Mr. Fries son says “Dr. Blende and his team were able to extract 3 teeth and do 18 fillings; essentially reconstructing my father’s mouth in less than 3 hours while he was under sedation.”

The results were beyond what could have been expected. The recovery was short and easy, and Walter doesn’t appear to be in pain any longer. Beyond better oral health, the family and healthcare providers for Mr. Fries states that he has “more pep in his step”, that his appetite has doubled and his general mood is no longer lethargic.

Daniel immediately volunteered to share his experience with others. “The service is amazing and makes dealing with a tough situation as easy as possible, especially when the patient cannot express themselves personally.  For those with family members suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia I can’t highly stress enough how amazing Dr. Blende and his staff was. Traditional dentists don’t know where to start in dealing with a special needs patient, but the Blende Dental Group team was able to plan an effective care strategy, schedule every detail, and ensure the process was smooth and streamlined for everyone involved.”

Additionally, to ensure Walter’s ongoing health and comfort, the Blende Dental Group’s Patient Care Coordinator helped with arranging in home services for routine cleanings and oral hygiene.