Recently, numerous news reports have covered the story of a father and daughter in Shandong suffering from a rare genetic condition that left them completely toothless, unable to eat for an extended period. Recently, this "toothless father-daughter duo" received attention and compassionate assistance from Guangzhou Meilai Medical Aesthetics. Last week, the "toothless father," Mr. Zou, successfully underwent dental implant surgery. On the day of the procedure, he regained a full set of teeth and can now chew and eat like a normal person.
Mr. Zou, the "toothless father," beamed with joy after his dental implants, his appearance noticeably improved.
Photo shows before-and-after comparison of Mr. Zou's dental implant procedure.
The greatest surgical challenge: Implanting in congenitally toothless jawbones.
The implant surgery was performed by Dr. Meng Qingwei, Director of Guangzhou Meilai's Oral Aesthetics Department.According to Dr. Meng, Mr. Zou's prolonged toothlessness had prevented proper alveolar bone development, leaving insufficient bone volume to support dentures. Dental implants thus represented the optimal solution.
"Our CT scans revealed distinct bone conditions in Mr. Zou's upper and lower jaws. While the lower jaw had sufficient bone density for direct implant placement, the upper jaw exhibited extremely sparse and fragmented bone structure. Implanting roots there would be highly challenging—even if attempted, the implants risked instability, loosening, and eventual failure."
All-on-4 Technique Successfully Completes Surgery
On May 9th, after undergoing a series of examinations confirming his suitability for surgery, Mr. Zou, the "toothless dad," began his implant procedure at 10 a.m.The first step involved implanting artificial tooth roots into Mr. Zou's mandible. Simultaneously, based on the morphology of his mandibular alveolar bone, the placement positions and angles of the implants were meticulously designed, preserving his two remaining natural teeth in the lower jaw.
Four implant fixtures successfully placed in Mr. Zou's mandible
"Mr. Zou's alveolar bone structure was inherently underdeveloped. Traditional half-arch implant solutions typically require six or more fixtures, posing excessive risk given his bone conditions.Therefore, in designing his implant plan, we aimed to minimize the number of implants while ensuring precise placement and angulation. This guarantees sufficient support for the entire fixed bridge to withstand occlusal forces. Consequently, we employed the All-on-4 implant technique."Ultimately, Director Meng Qingwei placed four implants in Mr. Zou's mandibular alveolar bone, preserving his existing teeth while anchoring the entire fixed bridge.
"We grafted bone powder into the maxillary area. Once the maxillary bone volume is sufficiently restored, we will similarly place four implants there and attach fixed teeth." After completing the maxillary alveolar bone surgery, Director Meng Qingwei fitted Mr. Zou with a custom-made transitional maxillary denture, restoring his ability to chew with both upper and lower teeth simultaneously.Post-surgery, Mr. Zou approached the mirror. Seeing the bright, even teeth he had longed for over 28 years, his eyes welled up with tears. Overwhelmed with emotion, he struggled to find words, repeatedly thanking Director Meng Qingwei and the medical staff nearby.
However, the newly implanted teeth cannot yet handle hard foods. It will take several days for the alveolar tissue to fully integrate and stabilize around the implants before he can eat freely.
Guangzhou Meilai provides free dental implant surgeries for toothless families and donates 10,000 yuan
A bite of apple: 28 years in the making for the "toothless dad"
Back in his hospital room after surgery, Mr. Zou eagerly picked up an apple from the table."Every morning, the nurse brings me a glass of freshly squeezed juice. Before today's surgery, I asked her if I could have an apple instead—I wanted to eat one this afternoon." Following the doctor's advice, Mr. Zou didn't bite into the apple directly with his newly implanted teeth. Instead, he used a fruit knife to slice it into several pieces, which he then slowly chewed.
When asked what else he wanted to eat post-surgery, Mr. Zou admitted he had so many cravings he was momentarily speechless. "Spare ribs, cookies... so many things I wanted to eat as a kid but couldn't. I want to try them all."
Mr. Zou noted that while he still felt slightly unaccustomed to speaking with his new teeth, he experienced no discomfort otherwise. "The procedure itself wasn't painful. Director Meng kept chatting with me throughout to ease my nerves—I even dozed off midway." During the interview, Mr. Zou frequently flashed a confident smile, showing far more self-assurance than when the reporter had met him before surgery.
As for Mr. Zou's three-year-old daughter, "Toothless Girl" Xiao Gui, her young age and limited self-control pose challenges. There's also concern she might accidentally swallow the dentures and choke, so fitting her with dentures is postponed until she's older and better suited for pediatric dentures.It is reported that all costs related to Xiao Gui's dental implant procedure—including the installation of pediatric dentures, future adult implant surgery, and associated treatments—are covered by Guangzhou Meilai's public welfare assistance program.