How This Family's Nightmare Eventually Became Something to Smile About

Colton Ficek was just 14 years old when he contracted a life-threatening illness. He survived the disease, but it left him with a legacy of secondary health problems, including the loss of most of his teeth. After all he’d been through, Colton’s mom, Shelley, worried that dentures were not the most suitable tooth replacement for a sporty, active teen. But as neither their medical nor dental insurance provided coverage for dental implants, dentures were his only option.

Colton was diagnosed with Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Syndrome (TENS) – described as the disease that burns you from inside out. One of the symptoms of the disease is blistering skin, which peels off, leaving the body open to infection – but it doesn’t end there. The mucosal tissues, such as the eyes and mouth, also develop these blisters. In Colton’s case, the aftermath of these blisters led to scarring in his mouth, which affected saliva production.

Saliva is not only essential in aiding digestion (by breaking down starches and moistening food so it can be swallowed easily) but it is fundamental for maintaining a healthy mouth. Saliva contains antibacterial agents that kill harmful bacteria in the mouth, thus protecting the body from dangerous diseases – and the teeth from decay.

In the years following the onset of TENS, Colton’s dental health began to deteriorate. Chase Ficek, Colton’s older brother, recalls that it was difficult to watch his younger sibling in constant pain from teeth that were literally crumbling away, especially as practically all of them had been filled in an attempt to keep the decay at bay. Eventually, it became too much of an uphill struggle to continue trying to save Colton’s teeth, and the decision was made to have them extracted.

Unfortunately, this brought its own problems. Losing teeth – at any age – is no fun. However, wearing a full set of dentures on both arches is not something most teenagers can contemplate – especially an active one who partakes in sports, and where the real possibility of the dentures falling out isn’t far away.

The fixed alternative to dentures is dental implants. These are inserted into the jaw bone and false teeth (crowns) fitted on top. They look, feel and act exactly like real teeth – and have no chance of falling out, as do dentures. However, they are prohibitively expensive for most people, and rarely covered by insurance companies. To fix Colton’s dental problems, All-on-Four dental implants to both arches were the preferred treatment option – costing upwards of US $40,000.  His medical insurance company refused to cover the treatment on the grounds that his dental problems were a secondary consequence of the TENS. Thus, his dental insurance was a non-starter with an annual limit of $1,500, which barely covered the cost of the teeth extractions.

Desperate to get Colton some new teeth, the family decided to raise the money themselves and set up a Go Fund Me account which they shared on Facebook. Colton’s story started trending on Go Fund Me and was getting some shares on Facebook, which is how Dental Departures became aware of his plight.

The team at Dental Departures went to work: in collaboration with Sani Dental Clinic in Los Algodones and Straumann, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of dental implants, Colton was offered permanent tooth replacement for both his upper and lower jaws with All-on-Four® dental implants.

The team at Dental Departures were in no doubt they could help, but, of course it required medical assistance. The Sani Dental Group is one of the most established facilities in the Mexican border town of Los Algodones–itself a magnet for dental tourists from north of the US-Mexico border.

This small town with a population of less than 6,000 often welcomes that many visitors daily–mainly for dental work! Easily accessible, the prices are 50-70% less than in the United States and, what’s more, the dentists in Algodones are highly-skilled, offering high-quality services that are just as good as those in the US.

Sani Dental is one of the largest facilities in Algodones. Established in 1985 with just two chairs, it now has three offices and more than 30 dentists. Its specialists have attended the most prestigious universities in Mexico, and undergone post-graduate training at world-renowned facilities, including Harvard School of Dental Medicine and the International Center of Laser Education in the United States and the Mega’Gen Implants Factory in Seoul, South Korea.

Sani was keen to get involved with Colton’s case. Dr. Javier Muniz Perez, Medical Director at Sani, revealed that Colton represented a challenging case, given his young age and medical history. The treatment that Dr Munoz advocated was All-on-Four dental implants. The procedure allows a whole arch of teeth to be replaced with a bridge on just four dental implants. The beauty of the treatment is that the implants and bridge can be placed in only one day. Such was the extent of Colton’s dental health problems that he required both top and bottom arches.

Sani contacted Straumann to see if they were willing to help. Straumann agreed to supply the implants and to collaborate with Sani on finding the best solution for Colton.

Colton was then flown out to Los Algodones to have his dental implants fitted at Sani Dental, which went without a hitch. After several consultations and treatments, Colton now has an entirely new set of teeth. He now enjoys the prospects of a bright, happy future where he can confidently smile thanks to a handful of dental professionals that saw his story and cared enough to help him out

Thanks to the generosity of so many, Colton now has his life back.